Dragonlords
by Catcateightyeight
Summary: 700 years passed since Sorey became Maotelus' vessel and fell into a deep sleep. Mikleo has spent his time honing his skills with his artes, trying to fill the void that his best friend left behind. Yet with great power comes a great price. Mikleo is about to learn what it really means to wield that power, and Sorey may even help him on the way.
1. Chapter 1

Bright, early morning sunlight glistened majestically off the surface of Ladylake. The currents twisted and churned beneath the surface of the water. Birds chirped in the nearby bushes, unafraid of the passing caravans traveling over the long bridge to the city. Caravan crews shouted to each other in greeting, their dogs running between the crowds excitedly.

On the meadow side of the bridge stood a lone figure. He was dressed in deep blues and had long, white hair with turquoise tips tied up in a high ponytail. A long wooden staff was held in his off hand, ornamented with tethers of pearls and seashells. He had paused staring dubiously at the large expanse of lake water, amethyst eyes reflecting uncertainty. The man was obviously a seraphim, and had captured the attention of two human siblings riding by in an uncovered cart. They waved excitedly and he smiled back at them, only momentarily distracted from his musings.

The sight of Ladylake unnerved him. Mikleo was not accustomed to being afraid of water. After all, he was a water seraph. He had spent his whole life, nearly 717 years, practicing and perfecting his water artes. Not only could he freely manipulate any water in his presence, but he could summon water at will. He had control of devastating tidal waves that could vanquish his enemies and was adept at the gentle artes of healing. Those who knew of his skills called him "High Master of Water," for there were none who equaled him in ability. Mikleo had raised his elemental affinity to coveted levels of godhood, attaining what seraphim called "perfect attunement" to his element. But the power had come at a price.

Stealing his resolve, Mikleo took his first step across the bridge. So long as the water didn't touch him, he would be safe. He had business in Ladylake with an old friend, business he was not going to avoid due to a little discomfort. Striding across the bridge with confidence, the only sign of his anxiety was the whitening of his knuckles on the hand that held his staff. How long had it been since he had seen Lailah? He reflected back on three summers ago and the smiling faces of his friends as he left on his pilgrimage to finally attain perfect attunement. They had supported him as he left, and he promised to return to them with new powers and epic stories.

Most seraphim, Mikleo's friends included, gained power through the usage of oaths. By prohibiting certain activities, you could hone your skills in one aspect to greater heights. Yet, that inherently inhibited growth in the prohibited areas. The sacrifices were usually small with astounding benefits. However, you could never reach perfect attunement to your element if you took an oath. To attain perfect attunement you had to master all and every aspect that your element could offer. Most seraphim thought it was too arduous, and perhaps that was why Mikleo was the only one he knew to attempt perfect attunement. But Mikleo didn't have much else to do anyways, except write his book.

Mikleo grimaced at the thought of his unfinished book as he crossed the threshold of the city. The din of the crowd was to be expected, people chatting amicably in the streets, gossiping about the goings on in Hyland. No matter how much the buildings changed, old stone architecture replaced with towering, cement structures, the atmosphere of Ladylake would always remain the same. Mikleo wandered up the sloping streets, dodging a group of rambunctious kids on peddle bikes, lost in nostalgia. He passed by where the great water wheel had once hung over the irrigation river, now replaced by a bustling marketplace. The aqueducts that once ran through the center of the city had been replaced by an intricate system of pipes that were buried beneath the streets and in the walls of the buildings. Mikleo was, for the first time, grateful for the change. The water was tucked away in a place it could not reach him.

Mikleo continued up the twisting streets until he came upon his destination. The sanctuary looked ancient next to the newer architecture of the city. He remembered the protests that had broken out when the counselors had suggested rebuilding the sanctuary. Mikleo had thought Lailah had been a part of the movement, with how attached she was to the old building. However he had never been able to confirm his suspicions. The protesters had won in the end, and the old building remained. It was not the same old building that he had seen the first time he had entered Ladylake, that had been torn down centuries ago, but it was still clearly from an older era.

The doors were propped open, letting in the warm breeze and the gazes of passers by. Members of the sanctuary had become very open since the end of the Age of Chaos. Anyone was allowed to come, pray and meet the now visible seraphim, and wern't heckled for donations to the church. Ironically, their monetary resources had increased tenfold with the beginning of the Age of Coexistence, more commonly called the Renaissance of Seraphic Technology.

Mikleo strode between the pews, passing a mourning couple whose graying heads were bowed in prayer for lost loved ones. He had to suppress the urge to approach them. Yes, tears had water in them, and yes, he could use the power in that water, but he wasn't going to. Nagging thoughts pestered him all the way to the altar, where a very familiar seraphim was addressing one of the priests. He cleared his throat.

The seraphim supn around, red and white dress twirling in the air along with her floor length, silver hair. She had stopped mid sentence, but didn't seem to care once she caught sight of who was before her.

"Mikleo!" she exclaimed, hiding her delighted smile behind her draping sleeves. Mikleo could tell she was restraining the urge to leap forward and hug him tightly. Thankfully, she was successful.

"Hello Lailah. Did you get my letter?"

"Yes, I did. But I must admit I didn't expect to see you so soon. What a wonderful surprise."

"Um, excuse me," the priest said shyly. It was not his place to interrupt The Lady of The Lake, but he had been in the middle of a conversation. "Is this someone you know, Lady Lailah?"

"Why yes, this is an old Sub Lord of mine," she said, subtly telling the priest that Mikleo outranked him. Seraphim were to be respected, but humans seemed to hold greater revere for those who were either Lords of the Land or Prime Lords to a Shepard. Naturally, being a Sub Lord would establish his place in the hierarchy on par with the highest ranking seraphim. Being in the sanctuary that worshiped Lailah, he was practically a deity.

The priest stuttered for a moment before falling silent as Lailah's attention returned to her dear friend.

"You wanted to speak about something. Does it have to do with your pilgrimage?" Lailah asked excitedly.

"Yes. Is there somewhere we could go that's a bit… more… private?" Mikleo requested, blushing slightly at all the attention he was receiving. Despite the authority his powers had granted him, Mikleo had never gained the taste for the limelight. He much prefers intimate connection with close friends to that of the hero worship most humans threw his way.

"Certainly." Lailah said, taking her leave of the sanctuary's main floor.

Ever since humanity had been granted the gift of resonance, and consequently the ability to perceive seraphim, this sanctuary had set aside a room especially for Lailah. It had been quaint, if a little small in its first rendition, but grew with extravagance each time the sanctuary had been renovated or rebuilt. Now Lailah practically had a small home to herself nestled in one wing if the sanctuary. There was a small common space connected to a kitchenette, bathing room and bedroom. The kitchenette had been a personal request of Laila equipped with stacked ovens and sturdy stove top.

"Make yourself comfortable," Lailah offered, gesturing to one of the soft couches.

Mikleo remained standing, his nerves keeping him from sitting comfortably. He shifted uncomfortably in the atmosphere that always seemed far too warm in Lailah's room. Running a sweaty hand over his hair, lifting his bangs away from his circlet to cool his forehead. Lailah, playing conscientious host, poured Mikleo a glass of water from the pitcher on the coffee table.

"Here," she said, handing him the glass.

Mikleo took it without looking, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips. When his mind registered what was happening, he jumped back, dropping the glass to the floor. The contents spilled out and soaked the cuff of Mikleo's trousers, seeping in close to his skin. His back pressed to the wall, power pulsating against his skin in time with the rapid beating of his heart. Mikleo's ankle felt numb, and he was becoming dizzy. The power sought out Mikleo, the energy in the water calling to him, begging him to feed mana into the puddle at his feet and show the world it's devastating true potential.

Lailah was shouting his name, but he couldn't hear her over the sound of his own breath in his ears, coming out in short pants. One hand clutched to Mikleo's collar, trying in vain to ground him. He could feel his control slipping, the water in the pitcher beginning to spin violently in response to his mana. It spun faster and faster until the ceramic vessel couldn't contain it anymore, and the pitcher shattered, spraying water all over the table. Lailah yelped, grabbing up her cards and casting drying flames at her feet.

As the water evaporated slowly Mikleo came back to himself. His breathing evened out bit by bit, and he released his hold on his shirt. Instead of dizzy he felt shaky, hands trembling lightly as he calmed himself down. Lailah was staring at him with concern, eyes fixated to his.

"Mikleo, your hands… Your eyes…" she breathed, her usual levity had evaporated with the water, leaving only heartfelt worry.

"My eyes?" he asked, glancing down at his trembling fingers.

To his surprise, the tips of his fingers had been replaced by shrinking talons. They were dark black and jagged, even as they retreated and became regular skin once more. Without thinking he rushed into the bathing room. Standing in front of the mirror he watched in horror as his eyes shifted in shape. His irises went from long, black slits slowly back to their natural, if dilated, circle. Lailah appeared in the mirror next to him, a worry line creased between her brows and lips pressed into a thin line. His trembling had increased to full blown shaking.

"How about you come sit down Mikleo," she offered softly.

"Yeah," he agreed, not trusting his legs to keep him standing much longer.

Mikleo allowed himself to be guided to a couch, sinking into the plush cushions with relief, Lailah a constant presence at his elbow.

"Tell me what happened Mikleo," Lailah prompted, running a soothing hand up and down his back.

Mikleo stared at his hands, now looking completely normal, without really seeing them. "I was on my pilgrimage, far north of Eysia by the frozen ocean. I was practicing my artes, testing the limits of what I could harness." A smile eased its way onto Mikleo's face. "It was amazing Lailah. I could feel the whole ocean at my command. Entire glaciers were nothing more than trivial ice cubes floating in a bowl of water. Every drop of water, every snowflake was mine to command, and then… something snapped."

A shadow fell over Mikleo's face. "Instead of sending energy out and controlling the power with my mana, energy was rushing into me. I couldn't stop it, I couldn't control it. It filled me up with power, too much power. It hurt, but it wasn't like any pain I've felt before. I fought the power, lashed out at my surroundings, and that's when I passed out. When I woke up, everything around me was destroyed. All the snow and ice had been blasted away from me, leaving me lying on bare stone. The icebergs had shattered and all the ocean I could see had frozen solid. I wasn't even sure I had woken up in the same place I passed out. After that I left as fast as I could, and came to see you. Lailah, what's happening to me?"

There was silence between the two, amethyst eyes begging green for help. When Lailah glanced away, Mikleo began to panic.

"Lailah, you have to help me-"

"Mikleo…"

"You're the wisest seraphim I know, I couldn't go to any of the others-"

"Mikleo-"

"Don't give me some bullshit about your oath keeping you from telling me. This has nothing to do with the Shepard-"

"MIKLEO!" Lailah shouted, grabbing his hand and silencing the distraught seraph. "If you stop talking for just a second and here what I have to say, it may help you."

She paused for a moment, waiting to see if her friend was listening. Mikleo kept his lips sealed, even if they trembled with unshed tears.

"I have lived a long time.I have met only a few seraphim who sought out perfect attunement with their element, and I never saw any of them after they had reached their goal."

Mikleo felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"But, I have seen something like this before Mikleo. I just don't think you will like hearing it."

"Please," Mikleo whispered, not trusting his voice to remain steady, "just tell me Lailah."

The fire seraph sighed, glancing away again. This time Mikleo waited, and when she looked back he saw her heart break. "It looked like you were becoming a dragon."

Silence permeated the room. Mikleo was stunned. There was no way he was becoming a dragon. He looked at Lailah like she had grown a second head. This was absolutely crazy. Mikleo had been very careful around malevolence ever since he severed his pact with Lailah. There wasn't a chance that he could be so badly corrupted. It was impossible. He would have noticed.

"But… dragons are the harbingers of chaos…" he said disbelievingly.

"I know."

"They are seraphim that have been corrupted by malevolence for years, or are flooded with immense quantities of malevolence…"

"I know."

"The only way to deal with a dragon is to kill it…" at this point Mikleo was just clinging to the scraps of information he knew about dragons, things he hadn't thought about in centuries.

"I know," Lailah said, choking back a sob. She wrapped her arms around Mikleo and pulled him close.

Mikleo accepted the embrace, taking comfort in the arms of his friend. He let his worries subsided for a moment while he focused on the warmth of the body next to him. Mikleo must be really far gone if he was huddling into Lailah like a frightened child hiding in his mother's arms. Yet, he couldn't quite bring himself to pull away.

"I don't sense any malevolence from you," Lailah whispered in his ear.

Confusion creased Mikleo's brow. "Then how can I be a dragon?" he whispered back, pulling away so he could watch his friend's expression.

She bit her lip, "I'm not sure. And for that I'm sorry."

Mikleo rubbed his eyes and breathed out a heavy sigh. He felt so lost and helpless.

"Maybe we don't know everything about dragons," Lailah offered optimistically. "Maybe you should seek the dragonlords."

"The dragonlords," Mikleo scoffed. "I hardly think a cult of lunatics who live at the edge of the world would know anything about a seraphim becoming a dragon without malevolence."

"Maybe. Or, maybe they know more than we give them credit for. They have worshiped dragons for eons. And it does seem every time there are rumors of a dragon in Glenwood a dragonlord shows up to put things to rest."

What Lailah said was true. Although it was historically the Shepherd's duty to kill dragons, over the past 500 years or so dragonlords had been popping up to take care of things. They were ostracized. There wasn't an inn or sanctuary that would put a dragonlord up for the night. Yet, they never seemed to mind. They would slip in quietly, quell the dragon, and just as quietly disappear again. Dragonlords were a mystery to humans and seraphim alike. The only thing anyone seemed to know about them was that they worshiped dragons, and that made them insane.

Mikleo sighed and rubbed his eyes again. They felt strangely sore, like they had been pressing against his skull in a way they didn't usually. "I guess it's as good a place to start as any," he conceded.

"Don't worry Mikleo. I'm sure we will find out what is happening to you," Lailah said comfortingly. "Now, would you like something to drink?"

Mikleo thought for a moment. "Some milk." Milk was safe. There wasn't any water in milk.


	2. Chapter 2

A lone temple stood near the peak of a mountain. The sandstone pillars were crumbling to dust, ravaged by the high winds that wiped between the mountain peaks and valleys. If you weren't looking closely, you might just miss the temple. Most of the building was built into the mountain itself, the only thing visible from the outside were two sets of pillars and a door that might have once had an ornately carved pattern. There was no pathway that led to the temple, but some of the ridges in the nearby rock face were reminiscent of stairs. This temple may have been cared for at one point, but not anymore.

There was only one room in the temple. In the center of the room sat a marble altar. The only embellishments to the altar were the natural lines of the marble itself. Small details were carved into the foot of the stone block so that it resembled something more than a slab of untouched stone. Upon the altar lay something remarkable. It was remarkable in the sense that under normal circumstances it would be the most unremarkable thing about the room.

Upon the altar lay a boy. He looked young, just entering into manhood. Brown, messy hair covered his head wildly. He was well muscled, judging from what could be seen poking through the rotting remains of his clothing. His skin looked sunkissed, and there were smile lines traced into his face. The boy looked breathtakingly alive, full of youthful energy, even if he was asleep. He looked ready to snap awake at any moment, climb expertly down the cliffs of his temple mountain, and wander back to the village he came from full of stories of the amazing ruins he had taken an afternoon nap in.

This wasn't quite the case. The boy was not taking an afternoon nap, and he didn't belong to any of the small villages that were built on the other side of the mountain range. This boy was none other than a legendary hero. He was attributed with bringing about the end of the Age of Chaos. He single handedly awakened people to the presence of the seraphim. He was the Great Shepherd Sorey, recognized the world over as the greatest shepherd that ever lived.

What was true, was that Sorey was about to wake up. 700 years of slumber, serving as a vessel for the god Maotelus was finally at an end. Emerald green eyes lifted slowly, focusing on the cracked ceiling. He blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the overcast lighting that streamed in from the natural skylights. Slowly, as if testing out a body that might not work, Sorey sat up. As he did his decaying clothing crumbled into dust around him. He shivered at the cold air assaulting his body and looked around.

"Hello?" he called out.

Sorey hadn't expected anyone to be there when he woke up, but he also hadn't expected to be alone. He felt strange, having awoken in a different place than where he fell asleep. Looking around, he spotted a pile of abandoned clothing in a dark corner of the temple. Sorey got up tenderly, testing his bare feet on the stone floor before sinking weight into his long unused legs. Everything seemed to be working fine, so he walked over to the pile.

The clothing must have been forgotten by the caretakers of this temple, when the temple still had caretakers. Which seemed odd to Sorey. There was nothing else in the room save for the altar he had just vacated. Surely someone would have noticed the abandoned clothing before they left. Or maybe they had been left here on purpose, knowing that he would need them when he woke up.

Pondering the mystery, Sorey began dressing himself. The trousers fit him loosely, but he found a belt tucked into a pair of sturdy boots, as if the donor had anticipated his need. He pulled the shirt over his head and noticed that it fell down past his waist, hanging low over his butt. A traveling cloak was also present, but the hood fell down over his face so far he could barely see. Strangely, there was only one sock, and it had clearly been chewed on by a rodent. How the rest of the clothing had been spared the same fate was almost as mysterious as the presence of the clothing in the first place.

After dressing Sorey explored the entirety of the temple. He didn't spend long over the worn out door or the simplistic architecture of the temple before more urgent matters came to his attention. There were no people around, which meant that there was no food, and no water. Stepping out into the cool air, Sorey cast his gaze to the horizon. To his chagrin, there was nothing to see but the dramatic rise and fall of the mountains. Not a single dwelling, human or seraphim, could be seen for miles away. Weather they were blocked by the towering peaks or simply did not exist, Sorey couldn't be sure.

After studying the sky for a few moments, Sorey spotted a column of clouds that looked suspiciously darker than any of the rest. On further study he determined it was smoke, most likely rising from a huge bonfire. Where there was a bonfire, there was sure to be people. Hopefully they would be able to help him, or at least give him directions. Without delay Sorey set off down the steep cliff side.

His journey took all day before he finally reached the source of the smoke. Exhausted, starving and beginning to wonder if he would die alone in the wilderness, Sorey discovered a huge, wooden wall. Gigantic logs were balanced vertically in long rows, circling around what Sorey assumed was a village. Interrupting the line of logs was a thick, woven gate. There didn't appear to be a handle by which to open the gate, so Sorey assumed it opened only from the inside. Perfect to keep outsiders like himself out.

Too bad, lack of food was beginning to make Sorey feel faint. The feeling came as a surprise to Sorey. He didn't remember the last time he had felt so famished, and couldn't recall ever being so hungry that it affected his mind. His mouth was so dry that swallowing felt like he was rubbing sandpaper against the back of his throat. How long had he gone without any water?

With a surge of courage, or desperation, Sorey called out to the people beyond the gate. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

There was no response.

"Hello?" he tried again, voice cracking from dehydration.

"Hello?" a voice asked from behind him.

Sorey spun around, startled. A human was walking up the trail behind Sorey. He wore tick, shapeless pants with heavy steel toed boots. Stretched across his shoulders was a dark gray vest, lapels heavily embroidered with swirling designs of purple, black and silver. Beneath the vest was a plain, off white shirt. His hair was a striking red, and his eyes were a clear blue, like sparkling crystals. From his attire, he looked important, yet he didn't carry himself with an air of nobility.

"Can I help you?" the stranger asked, looking perplext at Sorey's staring.

"Help me?" Sorey asked, his exhausted mind still catching up with his first human contact in… a lot of years. "Help me. I need help. I-I'm lost, and I haven't eaten all day," Sorey began to beg.

"Easy wanderer," the stranger said, putting up a hand to stop Sorey. "It's not common practice in my clan to allow strangers into the keep. Where do you come from? Perhaps I can guide you home?"

"Far away," Sorey supplied evasively. "Please, I don't think I can make it much longer."

The stranger scouled, studying Sorey's cloaked form. "What's your name."

"Sorey."

"Right," he crossed his arms, scowl deepening. "What's your real name wanderer."

"Really, it's Sorey."

"Sorey, as in the legendary Shepherd Sorey who brought an end to the Age of Chaos? The Sorey who gave humans the ability to perceive seraphim. That Sorey?"

"The very same." Sorey scratched the back of his head, suddenly grateful for the hood that covered his blushing face.

"Alright, don't tell me your name." It seemed the stranger didn't believe him. "Well, I can't very well just send you off to starve. I suggest you keep your visit here short wanderer. Eat, rest, then be on your way if you know what's good for you."

The red headed stranger approached the woven doors, pulling a stained handkerchief from his pocket. He pressed the cloth to the door and Sorey watched in amazement as the doors unwove before his very eyes. The thin strips pulled away from each other like a nest of disturbed snakes, wriggiling unto a new formation. Instead of a door, Sorey now stood before a woven archway, directly across from a huge clearing.

"Hurry up before the gate closes," the stranger called, already walking up the trail towards the clearing.

Sorey ran to catch up with him, staring in awe as the archway dismantled and re-wove itself into the impressive doors he had seen upon his arrival. The marvel of the front gate turned out to be nothing compared to the amazement Sorey found once he reached the clearing. All around him were tiny houses. They looked only big enough to have one or two rooms. All were made out of the same brownstone that filled the mountains. The entryway to each one was draped in different colored curtains, each with a familiar design embroidered into the cloth.

The red curtains were draped from some of the houses, portraying a design he recognized as the ancient symbol for fire; green curtains were embroidered with the ancient symbol for wind; blue curtains had the symbol of water. Yellow curtains had the design for earth; and the purple curtains held a design that Sorey didn't recognize, but was sure indicated some other kind of element. There were very few purple curtains, only three he could see from here, and an approximate even split between the other four colors.

Along with the cabins stood one excessively long house. This house had a proper door, blown glass windows, and was not adorned with a single curtain. Sorey used his archeological knowledge to determine that this house must be a gathering place for the people of the village. It was the only structure that looked like it could hold more than three or four people comfortably. In the center of the clearing was a huge fire pit, a small bonfire flickering in its depths. The fire looked untended, which wasn't a surprise since the sky had been threatening rain all day.

The most astounding thing about the village was not the buildings, but the location. The houses were built all the way up to the edge of a huge cliff. A sheer drop awaited anyone who ventured too close and fell over the edge. Sorey wasn't close enough to tell how far the drop was, but beyond the cliff, where he would have expected to see more mountains rising up in the distance, was nothing. The sight reminded Sorey eerily of the void he had fallen into during his final clash with Heldalf. He quickly looked away, not wanting to dwell on the uncomfortable memories.

The stranger who had escorted Sorey into the keep was being hailed by a group seraphim sitting in wooden chairs outside the longest house. All three had blue hair of varying shades, and wore gigantic, baggy cloaks of light or dark gray.

"Greetings Alistar!" shouted the youngest, a girl with big, loopy earrings. "I think it's about to rain, you should get inside!" she sounded delighted at the prospect.

"Thank you, I will," Alistar replied, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm. "I assume you will be enjoying the storm."

"Of course, I can't wait!"

"Who is that with you Alistar?" asked one of the other seraphim. He was a large man whose cloak just barely covered his bare knees.

"I caught a wanderer outside the gate," Alistar replied, glancing around at Sorey. "He said he would die of starvation if I didn't help him."

The man shook his head disapprovingly. "You are too gullible Alistar. Not every wayward wanderer is as desperate as they seem. What will your dragon say when she finds out?"

That question caused Sorey to pause. His what now?

"I'll take full responsibility for the wanderer, you don't need to pester her with this."

"Keeping secrets isn't good for you Alistar. You know she is going to find out," scolded the girl, cloak flapping as she swung her legs back and forth.

Whatever Alistar was going to say was suddenly drowned out by the sound of the rain. The sky opened up and a downpour began. The small group was pelted with an onslaught of water, instantly drenching them. Only one sound could be heard above the pounding of the water, and that was an ear splitting scream. Sorey spun around, alarmed, to see a lithe seraphim crouched down in the dirt at the edge of the clearing.

He was screaming like one might if they were caught on fire, long whtie hair with blue tips grasped tightly in his fists. A basket of laundry lay spilled on the ground next to him, white towels soaking up the mud. Crouched next to the seraphim was another, the only thing visible of her above an exceedingly long cloak was her long, black hair tipped with deep purple highlights. She was shouting at the screaming seraph, trying her best to untangle his fingers from his hair before he made himself bald.

"Don't fight it!" she was shouting above the din. "Let it fill you up, don't try and contain it!"

The seraph stopped screaming for a second, shoulders heaving with shuddering gasps. Then he started again, falling further over, hands now clutching the muddy ground.

"You're containing again. Stop it!"

But the advice proved futile. The seraph's screams grew louder, almost impossibly so given the size of the boy. Then, his body began to convulse. Shaking hands grew deep, jagged talons while his hair receded into his head. His shirt split apart as great, leathery wings burst from his shoulders. Sorey watched in terrified fascination as the seraphim transformed into one of the strongest, and most dangerous hellions he had ever encountered.

The scream morphed into a booming roar, long scaly neck reaching up into the sky, fanged mouth open to the rain. Long, white teeth glistened in the dragon's mouth, shining like bright pearls. Webbed spines flexed along the dragon's joints, fanning out behind his jaw and down the length of his tail. They dragon was light blue, almost white, with scales that glittered iridescently against thick hide. His eyes were slanted, like that of a serpent, and a breathtaking amethyst color.

Sorey threw a wary glance back at Alistar and the others. None of them seemed particularly concerned at the sudden appearance of a dragon in their midst. The seraphim seemed almost proud, small smiles gracing their faces. Alistar was not focused on the dragon at all, and was instead watching the black haired girl next to the beast. Sorey returned his attention to the scene unfolding in the clearing, slowly backing away.

The girl had jumped away when the seraph began his transformation. She was a safer distance away, but still close enough to be stepped on by the beast. Reaching up to the broach on her cloak, she slung the cloth to the ground. Sorey barely had a second to register her nude form before she too transformed into a dragon.

The girl did not scream or roar as she transformed, and her transformation was not nearly as slow as her companion's had been. One moment she was a seraphim, the next she was a towering beast, only a few meters smaller than the blue dragon next to her. She was a black dragon, scales frosted with a purple glow. Her wings looked more like black flames, cascading an eerie smoke like substance down her back. That same smoke spread from between her clawed feet and drifted solemnly from her mouth. Her head was crowned with horrifying looking horns, and her tail had a mace like barb protruding from the end.

Sorey recognized this dragon, even though he had never seen anything quite like it before. This dragon had been born from malevolence. He gasped as the black dragon bent down and bit hard into the blue dragon's foot, her foot crushing her cloak into the mud. The blue dragon roared in agony, and tried to swipe at the black with his free arm. Nimbly, which was surprising for a beast her size, the black dragon dodged the swipe, leaping into the sky. As she ascended, she smacked the blue dragon on the side of his head with her tail, a sickening crunch echoing around the clearing.

Another roar sounded from the blue dragon, frustration leaking into the deafening sound. The blue dragon lunged after the black, who had flown purposefully off towards the canyon and out into the black nothingness that had unnerved Sorey when he first entered the clearing. Following close behind, the blue dragon shot a gust of icy breath at the black dragon, just catching the black dragon's tail. Next to Sorey, Alistar grimace, rubbing his rear. A moment later both disappeared, as if they had flown into a misty cloud. Not even the thunderous roar of the blue dragon could be heard across the canyon.

Sorey was flabbergasted. He wasn't sure his legs would support him much longer, the shock having left him unsteady. Alistar, however, looked as if nothing particularly exciting happened. He strode over to the crushed cloak and toppled laundry basket. Gathering up the contents, he fastened the cloak around his shoulders. Oddly enough, the cloak fit him perfectly. It was just the right length to cover him well past his knees, and was the same shade of gray as his heavily embroidered vest. If Sorey hadn't seen the cloak on another person just moments ago, he would have sworn the cloak belonged to Alistar.

The red head beckoned Sorey through the door of the longest house. He ducked inside out of the rain, followed by the three seraphim who had been sitting outside just a moment ago. The girl was chattering away about something, but Sorey didn't really absorb what she was saying. He was taking in the inside of the house. Several long tables stretched out the length of the building, benches on either side of each table. The benches were not the same height, leaving strange gaps where they met at the ends. Towards the front of the building was a large window, opening up into a huge kitchen area. Clearly this building functioned as a community dining hall.

"I think that was his first full transformation! I'm so proud of the lad!" the girl was saying as they sat down near the kitchen window.

Alistar had disappeared through a door into the kitchen, leaving the laundry basket at the end of a table.

"He has been avoiding it," the large seraph added. "It must have been triggered by the rain. He is a water seraph isn't he?"

"I think so."

I'm glad it happened this way. Kind of like ripping off a bandaid."

Sorey was pretty sure the metaphor wasn't very accurate. That transformation had looked much more painful than that.

"Shame he didn't have a Lord though," said the girl, resting her head on her hand.

"Yes, that would have made things easier on him," agreed the large man.

"I thought you three were going to enjoy the rain," Alistair said, returning through the swinging door with five bowls of hot stew on a tray.

"There will always be another rain," dismissed the large man, eyes examining Sorey. Clearly a wanderer was more interesting than the downpour outside.

Alistar handed out the bowls and sat down across the table from Sorey. Sorey shrugged off his cloak, draping it across the bench next to him. He stared down at the soup, starving but at the same time not quite ready to eat.

"I'm surprised at you wanderer," the large seraph said. "Most humans who saw that would have left screaming. You seem offly composed."

"I-I guess," said Sorey, rubbing the back of his head.

"He's in shock," the girl deadpanned.

Sorey shook his head, picking up the wooden spoon and began eating the soup. He barely noticed the burning of his tongue as the much needed sustenance passed his lips. In moments he was inhaling the savory stew, barely pausing long enough to chew through the potatoes and chunks of meat.

"Easy there wanderer, I don't want you to choke," Alistar warned.

Sorey stilled, spoon half way to his mouth. "Sorry," he muttered.

The large seraph chuckled. "It's quite alright wanderer."

"I guess you wern't lying about being hungry," Alistar said, a fond smile on his face.

"I wasn't," Sorey agreed lamely. He found himself having a hard time holding a proper conversation with the strangers.

"I bet you are looking for some kind of explanation as to what happened," Alistar said, watching Sorey's expression carefully.

"That would be nice. I mean, you don't see something like that every day…" Sorey admitted.

"No, I suppose an outsider wouldn't," muttered the girl, blowing steam away from her spoon.

"How much do you know about the dragonlords?" Alistar asked.

"The who?" Sorey had never heard the term before.

"Completely ignorant, as expected," grumbled the large man.

Alistar waved a hand to silence the seraph. "We are a part of the largest, western clan of dragonlords. Here, Lords and dragons live together in harmony. Together we provide sanctuary for the misunderstood seraphim who have become dragons."

"But aren't dragons harbingers of chaos? Aren't they mad creatures created by malevolence bent of causing destruction?" Sorey asked around another mouthful.

"That's a common misconception," Alistair said. "There are three ways a seraph can become a dragon. The first, and rarest, is to be worshiped into the status of godhood. If enough people, and by enough I mean an entire race, worship the same seraph as if he were their deity, that seraph ascends into the form of a dragon. You've heard of Maotelus correct?"

Sorey nodded, remembering the white dragon he had freed from Heldalf's corruption.

"He would be a dragon by now. The second is the most well known. If a seraph is corrupted by enough malevolence, or is corrupted by a small amount of malevolence long enough, they devolve into a dragon. That's where dragons get the stereotype of being evil incarnate. The third way is if a seraph gains too much power practicing his seraphic artes. His seraphim body becomes unable to compensate for the amount of power, so the seraph shifts into something more compatible."

Sorey nodded again. "I think I get it."

"The first way is the safest way for a seraph to become a dragon. Gaining the rapport of a deity is gifted power. He is nothing more than a symbol of power, the power being the prayers of the people. There is no need to house the power within himself so it cannot overwhelm him. The other two ways are drastically more dangerous."

"I get how being corrupted by malevolence can be dangerous, but what is so dangerous about practicing your artes? If you've honed your skills through years of training, wouldn't you be able to control your powers?"

Alistar shook his head. "The reason those two types of dragons are so dangerous is actually the same. Power is willful. It lusts after its own desires. The pressure to control something that does not want to bend to your will can cause chaos inside the mind of the dragon. In response, the dragon becomes volatile, lashing out at the world around it. I've heard it described akin to pain.

"It's not the kind of pain you would feel if I punched you in the arm. The pain is internal. Like someone was filling your head with sand, smashing your brain, and the only way to get rid of the pain is to do something. Some dragons break things; some dragons kill; some dragons collect and organize things; and some even turn on themselves, using physical pain to chase away the imaginary pain."

"Why?"

"No one really knows, the dragons aren't exactly in a coherent state of mind when they are going through this. I suspect it has to do with the dragon trying to get someone's attention."

"Speculation," scoffed the large man, who Sorey just noticed had become quite silent during Alistar's explanation.

"Just think about it. If the inside of your head is filled with chaos, and the outside is organized, wouldn't you feel ashamed of yourself for being so deranged. Wouldn't it make sense to make the outside of your head just as messed up as the inside, so you don't feel so weird," Alistar continued unperturbed. "And the chaos would attract curious onlookers, who would see your suffering and may be able to help you."

"I guess that makes sense," said Sorey.

"And if a dragon attacks someone, they are just trying to get that person to understand how they feel inside, but they don't know how to communicate that any other way. And if he steals valuables, people might come seeking those valuables. Then they would find you and might find a way to help you."

"That makes a lot of sense."

"Hogwash," growled the large man. "It is an instinctual reaction to an illogical situation. You can't just puzzle out why a dragon does things with human logic."

"You're just stubborn and don't want to remember what it was like before you were bonded to a Lord, Terry," Alistar quipped, glowering into his half empty soup bowl.

"Of course I don't, that time is well behind me."

"How does being bonded to a Lord help a dragon?" Sorey asked. "What is a Lord?"

"A Lord is a human that is soul bonded to the dragon. They help by easing the burden of the dragon's power. When a dragon is using his powers, the Lord can help curb some of the psychological burden, allowing the dragon to think coherently. That way the dragon can function uninhibited by their power's willfulness."

"Does that hurt the Lord?"

"Not particularly. They don't feel the effects of the power the same way the dragons do."

Sorey sat and thought for a moment. All of this was a lot to take in. However, he couldn't deny that he was fascinated. When he had been the Shepherd, he would have never guessed that someone would be able to find out so much about the terrifying creatures. He almost felt guilty about how he had settled things with Edna and Eizen. But he hadn't known any of this back then, no one had.

"Are you a Lord?" Sorey asked Alistar.

The red head smiled and sat back, again watching Sorey's expression carefully. "I am."

"That means you are bonded to a dragon, correct?"

"That's correct."

"Are you bonded to that blue dragon we saw earlier?"

"No, he isn't bonded."

"How long has he been here?"

"About three weeks."

"So, he is struggling with the insanity his power brings him right now."

Alistar nodded.

"Why did that other dragon attack him?"

"She was trying to goad him into chasing her."

"Why?"

"She is going to exhaust him."

Sorey shook his head, not understanding. "Why," he repeated.

"At first, seraphim have a hard time controlling when they transform into a dragon. That seraph is a water seraphim. The rain must have triggered an uptake in power and sent him into the transformation. We have found that the safest way to transform the dragon back into a seraphim is to force them to expend all that energy. It comes with some risks, but they usually come back alive."

"Risks?"

"Once their energy is spent they tend to pass out mid air."

Sorey felt scared for the beautiful blue dragon. He didn't want to imagine that poor seraph falling to his death just because he had accidentally become a dragon. It felt wrong somehow.

"Don't worry, Elise will make sure he comes back safe. This isn't her first time out with a new dragon," Alistar said, reading the worry on Sorey's face.

"Enough Alistar," spoke the third seraph, the one who hadn't said anything in Sorey's presence since he arrived. Sorey suddenly understood why. The old seraph was weezing out every world, as if it was a struggle to speak at all. "Why are you telling an outsider all of this. It's not like you to share our knowledge so voluntarily."

Alistar shrugged, "It's been a long time since someone has listened to me without calling me a lunatic."

"There are plenty of Lords around here that share in our wisdom. You can't tell me you believe that one nice fellow running back to his family with stories of the truth of the dragons is going to change the way people think about us," the old seraph coughed a shaking, rattling cough.

"No, of course not."

"Then what is this about?"

"Surely you noticed it too. This boy is open minded and pure of heart. He has the propensity-"

"No Alistar!" shouted the girl, jumping up from her seat and glaring daggers at the red head.

"Not another word Lord," the large seraph scolded, anger rising a blush to his cheeks. "You have no right to try and cajole an outsider into becoming one of our Lords. He has a home and a family elsewhere in this world that he needs to return to. Before we knew it they would come knocking down our gate and blame us for brainwashing the poor boy."

Sorey didn't have a family to return to in the traditional sense. In fact, he wasn't sure where he was going to go after he left this village. He pondered that it would be nice to see his friends again, Lailah, Zaveid, Edna, and most of all Mikleo. Maybe he could meet up with Rose and Alisha, if they were still around. He didn't know how long he had been sleeping, they might be long gone by now. Sorey felt oddly content that he wasn't expected anywhere, and that he could stay here as long as he wanted without causing anyone trouble.

"There are just so few available Lords left…" Alistar mumbled, stirring the soggy remains of his soup.

"An outsider hasn't become a dragonlord for generations Alistar. You must remember that we traditionally keep things in the families here," the girl rebutted. "It would be unfair to ask him to leave his world behind just because all of our Lords are bonded to dragons."

Alistar looked completely put out. "I was an outsider once too you know."

"That was completely different and you know it," the girl spat at him.

For the first time, the large seraph turned and spoke directly to Sorey. "I deeply apologize for this Lord's transgression. You are under no obligation to humor him any longer. I do beg your forgiveness wanderer."

"Oh! No! I'm not offended, really! I was just so curious, I guess I also got a little carried away," Sorey floundered.

Sorey looked at the three seraphim, who were avoiding his eye contact. For the first time he considered that these three were probably also dragons, bound to a Lord and able to wield unimaginable power. Yet they didn't seem dangerous. On the contrary, they seemed just like any other seraph he had ever met. They were just trying to protect themselves and their own from the unknown dangers of a strange human. He couldn't begrudge them that.

Sorey peered down at his now empty soup bowl. The food had been really delicious. He was happy thinking that the seraphim and people were well cared for here. Sorey found himself thinking about that blue dragon again. He wondered if the dragon was alright, and what he was doing out there in the blackness. Hopefully the black dragon would bring him back alive, was her name Elise? He was happy that he had come here, Sorey felt like he had begun a new adventure with how much he had learned about dragons. Warm, and a little sleepy, Sorey began to wonder if he could stay the night in the keep. Before he could ask, Alistar was addressing the seraphim.

"They are on their way back."


	3. Chapter 3

The black dragon appeared from the blackness alone. Alistar and Sorey had gone out to meet them, standing in the clearing as the rain slowed to a gentle trickel. A few other heads poked out of the cabins at the sound of wing beats, but everyone stayed well clear of the center, giving Elise enough room to land. She had something clutched in one hand, and she carefully laid it down on the ground. Now that Sorey was closer, he could see that the dark smoke was wafting out of deep purple feathers that ornamented the dragons feet.

Alistar approached the black dragon, unfastening his cloak. Elise settled down on the ground, and looked at him. She heaved out a sigh that sounded like a tiny whistle. In response he tossed the cloak into the air with practiced ease. A moment later Elise had transformed back into a seraphim, sitting on the ground directly beneath the falling cloak. She was leaning over the body she had been carrying.

After a closer look, Sorey recognized the seraph instantly. Sure he was taller, and his hair was longer, but there was no mistaking his best friend.

"Mikleo!" Sorey shouted, running up to the seraph's side, sliding to his knees in the mud. He reached out a hand to touch his friend and was immediately accosted by the seraph next to him.

"Who are you, and how do you know his name?" Elise asked, eyes flexing threateningly between round and slitted.

"I'm Sorey, I'm his friend. We grew up together," Sorey explained.

Elise looked unbelievingly at Sorey. Her attention shifted to Alistar, not releasing her tight grip on Sorey's wrist. "Ali, who is this?"

"He's a wanderer who came in begging for a meal. Said his name was Sorey," the red head answered.

Elise narrowed her eyes at Alistar. "You're no fool Alistar. Why is an outsider here?"

Alistar looked away with feigned innocence and shrugged. "Just helping a human in need."

By now they were beginning to draw a crowd. Elise released Sorey, but remained guarded over the naked body of Mikleo. The water seraph had sustained quite a few injuries while they were out. Sorey grimaced at the deep bite mark on his right hand and the long, bruised cut running down the side of his face. Elise had been the one to give Mikleo those wounds, just to distract him from rampaging in the keep. All over his body were smaller cuts and bruises. Mikleo looked as if he had fallen down a hillside covered in rocks and bushes. Suddenly aware of Mikleo's nudity (of course he was nude, Sorey had watched the clothing tear off his body when he transformed), Sorey took off his own cloak and tossed it over his friend. A gasp echoed around the group of onlookers.

Alistar and Elise glanced at each other perplexed.

"Let's get Mikleo inside," suggested Alistar, bending down to pick up the lithe seraphim.

Sorey followed Alistar and Elise to one of the wooden cabins, brushing back the blue curtain on his way inside. As Sorey had suspected, there was only one room inside the house. The room was lightly furnished with only a bed, a writing desk, and a small wooden chair. There wasn't even a proper closet, just a single bar with cloaks hanging up against one of the walls. The writing desk was covered with papers, and Sorey was reminded fondly Mikleo's dream of writing a book.

Elise pulled back the covers of the bed and Alistar set Mikleo down on the mattress gently. He pulled off Sorey's cloak and handed it back while Elise tucked Mikleo in. Sorey was glad to see that Mikleo didn't look pained while he slept. He clutched the cloak close to his chest, wondering what had happened while he was asleep that caused Mikleo to become a dragon. Could he have been corrupted by malevolence? Did he push his artes to that much of an extreme? Did the others know?

"Hey, outsider," snapped Elise, jolting Sorey from his musings. "How do you know Mikleo?"

"Like I said, we grew up together. It was a really long time ago."

"I'll say. Mikleo isn't exactly a young seraph. How could a human live long enough to claim to have grown up with him?" her tone sounded less questioning and more accusatory.

"Well… I'm Sorey… the Shepherd…"

Elise visibly paled at that.

Alistar took a step back, looking startled.

Clearing her throat, Elise collected herself. "So you're the legendary Shepherd Sorey. Mikleo did mention being a Sub Lord at one point, but to think he had been a Sub Lord to a hero," she muttered to herself. "No, I won't believe it," Elise said more clearly. "Not until Mikleo has woken up and confirmed your story himself. Shepherd Sorey ended the Age of Chaos over 700 years ago, you can't expect me to believe you just because you say you are him."

"700 years," Sorey breathed. He had no idea he had been asleep for that long. Sorey almost felt guilty.

"Until he wakes up, you are welcome to stay here. I trust you enough not to hurt our new dragon, even if I don't trust your story."

"Thank you very much!"

Elise turned to leave, grabbing Alister by the elbow as she went. "Oh, and one more thing. Best you keep mum about being a Shepherd. Dragonlords and Shepherds don't really see eye to eye."

"Oh, I see. That makes sense…" Sorey began to feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to be thrown out just because he had taken up the mantle of Shepherd 700 years ago. But he understood. Sorey could imagine that the Shepherds would want to either kill or purify the dragons, not let them run around free to cause havoc.

He pulled the wooden chair over to the side of Mikleo's bed and sat down. For a short while he sat in a silent vigil over Mikleo. However, he could only twiddle his thumbs for so long. Sorey was not known for being a patient boy. Soon he got up and wandered back to the long building to look for water, towels and bandages.

He was surprised to receive the curious aid of a human Lord and his dragon seraph. This was the second human Sorey had run across all day and wasn't sure what to expect, but he discovered that the Lord was as genuinely kind and forthcoming as Alistar had been. The man, Todd, was dressed the same as Alistar, with the exception of having orange, brown and gold embroidery in the lapels of his vest instead of purple, black and silver. His dragon seraph did not conceal her curiosity well, asking Sorey more questions than actually helping him look for first aid materials. She was taller than her Lord, but not by much, and her cloak looked just a tad too small.

They guided him to the dining house, which they unironically called the Longhouse. Todd fished out some towles, fresh water and a few apple gels that he cautioned Sorey to use sparingly. The seraph asked how he had known Mikleo, why he was so worried over Mikleo's health, if he was going to become Mikleo's Lord. Sorey didn't really know how to answer her, but Todd came in and rescued Sorey before he had grown too uncomfortable.

After Sorey had been given a decent armload of first aid materials, he left the Longhouse. On his way out, he noticed Elise and Alistar sitting at the far end of one of the long tables, Elise with a bowl of soup in front of her, both watching Sorey carefully. It was a little unnerving, but not unexpected. He was an outsider after all.

Sorey returned to Mikleo's cabin, not quite sure what the proper etiquette was for entering the dwelling. There was no door to knock on, but should he announce himself first? Did it even matter since Mikleo was still passed out?

Feeling a little foolish he cleared his throat. "I'm coming in Mikleo."

There was no response. When Sorey entered, Mikleo was exactly how he had left him, eyes closed and breathing peacefully. Sorey wandered over to the bed, and carefully laid out the towel and apple gels. He placed the bowl of water on the writing desk, careful to move the papers out of the way before he spilled on them. Glancing over the curling script, Sorey found he couldn't read a single word on the pages, and not because Mikleo's handwriting was illegible. Sorey wondered if the written language had changed over the 700 years he had been sleeping.

Putting the notion to the back of his mind, he sat down and broke open one of the apple gels. He carefully dabbed gel onto the open wounds on Mikleo's face and neck, gently pulling back the covers so he could doctor Mikleo's chest as well. He didn't move the blankets past Mikleo's hips, figuring the water seraph wouldn't appreciate Sorey invading his privacy like that. Sure, they had seen each other naked before, but that was a long time ago. A very long time ago.

Satisfied that the small abrasions on Mikleo's torso would heal, Sorey rubbed the remainder of the apple gel into Mikleo's wounded hand. The wound looked deep, and fizzed up at the disinfecting property of the apple gel. Sorey didn't know much about hands. There were so many tiny bones and tendons all linked together, and he wasn't sure if the deep puncture wounds had broken anything. The wound wasn't bleeding, at least not anymore, but Sorey still wrapped the wound in a strip of cloth to keep it clean.

Careful not to disturb any of the gel, Sorey tenderly replaced Mikleo's blankets. He pressed a hand to the seraph's forehead, feeling a little bit of warmth radiate from his skin. Dipping a small towel into the bowl of water, Sorey improvised a cool compress for his best friend. When he pulled back Mikleo's bangs, he noticed that the circlet Mikleo had always worn was no longer there. Sorey touched his feather earrings and smiled, remembering the day they had received their accessories from Gramps.

Falling back into the wooden chair with a sigh, Sorey began to reminisce about his childhood in Elysia. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

It would be three days before Mikleo finally awoke. Sorey barely ever left his side. He was only ever away long enough to fetch a meal from the Longhouse or refresh the water in his bowl. Elise and Alistar checked in on the two occasionally, remaining friendly and brief in their conversations with Sorey. When Mikleo did awaken, Sorey was the only one there.

He blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the light. Slowly, he looked around his cabin, raising a hand to pull the towel off his forehead. Sorey had remained quiet, waiting for Mikleo to notice him. When those amethyst eyes finally fell on Sorey, Mikleo blinked again. Then he sat up, blankets pooling around his waist.

"Sorey?!" Mikleo said astonished.

"Hey there!" Sorey smiled brightly, emerald eyes sparkling with joy. "Long time no see."

"Sorey!" Mikleo flung his arms around his best friend.

They held each other for a moment, Mikleo's bare chest warm against Sorey, whose hands patted Mikleo's back awkwardly. When Mikleo pulled away, Sorey was blushing.

"I'm so happy to see you! There's so much I want to tell you, so much has changed!" Mikleo gushed. "Ladylake and Pendrago aren't capital cities anymore, the whole continent is one big country. Edna got married, you'll never believe who her husband is-"

"Woah woah woah, slow down. One thing at a time Mikleo," Sorey laughed at his friend's enthusiasm.

"Alright, but let me get Edna's letter and show you." Mikleo practically sprang from the bed and was quickly rifling through the papers on his desk.

"Um… Mikleo, you're not wearing any clothes." Sorey was trying hard not to look directly at Mikleo.

"Is that so strange?" Mikleo quipped. "I'm a dragon now. Have you ever seen a dragon wearing pants and a shirt?"

"No… but… aren't you cold?" Sorey asked lamely, blush deepening.

"Not really. You get used to new things after living here a while. The people here are very kind and open minded. You kind of get drawn into their customs."

"Well, take this anyways," Sorey said quickly, holding his cloak out for Mikleo.

Mikleo paused in his rifling, a light pink dusting his fare cheeks. "That's- I mean- Sorey." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I suppose you wouldn't know. A human giving a dragon a cloak is kind of… meaningful around here. It's a sign of affection."

"That's fine," Sorey insisted. "We're best friends. I would obviously be affectionate towards you."

Mikleo sighed, and took the cloak from Sorey. "Sometimes I think you are too pure for your own good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sorey grumbled half heartedly, recognizing the teasing lilt in Mikleo's voice.

"Oh nothing. Here, I found the letter. Take a look at this!"

Sorey eyed the page in confusion. He had spent a few days trying to decipher the forgine script with no success. "I can't read that," he admitted.

"Huh? How can that be?" Mikleo asked, puzzled.

"Well, I don't imagine that the world still uses the same written language that we used growing up. I have missed a few centuries."

"That's true, but you are speaking in the current dialect. I just assumed you would be able to read too."

"I am? But everything sounds the same to me."

"Sorey, we are speaking an entirely different language than the one we grew up speaking. The official language of Glenwood has changed twice since you fell asleep."

"Then how come I understand everyone?" Sorey pondered.

Mikleo returned to the bed, shuffling Sorey's cloak around so it lay more comfortably. It was a little big, but given how the other seraphim around the keep wore their cloaks, Mikleo wouldn't seem at all out of place.

"Maybe it's a gift from Maotelus?" Mikleo suggested.

Sorey shrugged. During all the time he had spent as Maotelus' vessel, he never once held a conversation with the seraph. He had spent those 700 years in a dreamless sleep. One second he was becoming a vessel for the most powerful seraphim in Greenwood, the next he was waking up on a marble altar. Sorey was lost in thought when Elise stepped through the curtain.

"Good morning sleepy head!" she called, smiling at Mikleo. "Glad to see you're awake."

"Thanks," mumbled Mikleo, fidgeting under Sorey's cloak.

"Already wearing your friend's cloak I see. Better be careful Mikleo or else the entire clan will think you have already agreed to bond with the outsider," she teased.

Mikleo blushed so hard his ears turned red, Sorey chuckled sheepishly.

"That may be more to do with the fact that your friend hasn't once left your side since you came back unconscious," came Alistar's voice. A moment later he was sweeping the curtain aside and striding into the now crowded cabin. "You alright there Mikleo?"

"Yeah, I feel fine," Mikleo said.

Elise took a seat at the end of the bed. "How much do you remember from your transformation, Mikleo," she said, voice now serious.

"Bits and pieces," the water seraph admitted. "I remember you biting me, and I remember losing you in the void."

"I was never far from your side, I promise," Elise said comfortingly. "And sorry for biting you."

"It's alright, I understand." Mikleo was absentmindedly rubbing at the bandage on his hand.

"How much do you remember of our fight in the void?"

Mikleo's eyes looked far away, as if he were trying hard to recall something important. "Not much, but I remember it feeling different than the last time I was there. Like the air was heavier or something."

"I felt the same. I already reported that to the clan. Do you remember anything else? Like any shapes or figures you saw out there?"

Mikleo thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't. Everything is a little foggy."

"That's alright Mikleo, most seraphim don't remember even that much from their first transformation. You did well." Elise smiled and squeezed Mikleo's knee.

Mikleo smiled back, but didn't seem very reassured. There was something hanging on his mind, something about the void.

"I'm sorry, but you've completely lost me," Sorey butted in.

"Oh, right. Sorry Sorey, I forgot you didn't know anything," Mikleo said.

"How about we go, and let you fill your friend in on what's going on around here," Elise said, standing up and making her way out of the cabin.

"Wait, before you go," Mikleo was looking intently at Alistar. "Can Sorey stay?" Mikleo didn't mean right now, he meant indefinitely, and everyone knew that. He looked stubbornly hopeful, as if he were about to say that if Sorey couldn't stay then he wouldn't either.

"I don't see why not, so long as he starts to help out around here instead of sitting by your bedside," Alistar replied, a fond smile gracing his lips.

"Sorey, did you really just sit here by my side?!" Mikleo scolded.

"I couldn't just leave you alone." There was a small wine in Sorey's voice.

Alistar laughed, ending the argument before it began. "I'll go convince the others. It helps knowing that you requested Sorey to stay. I'm sure everyone will be fine with it."

The two brightened at the idea. Finally reunited after an eternity apart. Nothing could be better.

"Sorey," Mikleo said, lifting an arm to his side, fist clenched. "Welcome back."

Sorey smiled and crossed his wrist against Mikleo's, their secret handshake.


	4. Chapter 4

"So Sorey, how much do you already know about the clan?" Mikleo asked.

"I know that humans and dragons live here together, and that dragons aren't all evil like we thought they were. The humans and dragons bond together somehow, and that helps the dragon remain sane while they are using their power. Alistar explained some of it to me the first night I was here."

"I see. Then I guess you know the half of it." Mikleo rubbed his chin in thought.

"There's more?"

"Well, we don't just sit around and play castle all day. The clan also upholds a sacred duty, the kind of which the rest of the world doesn't know about. Did you see that huge, black wall on the other side of the canyon across from the keep?"

"Yeah, it's creepy."

"That's the void. It's a destructive miasma that is slowly eating away at the edge of the world."

"What? But I thought we defeated the Lord of Calamity and ended that sort of thing."

Mikleo shook his head. "This is different. It's not malevolence, it's the opposite. Malevolence is tumultuous, full of energy and emotion. The void is the absence of all things, or nothingness. I don't know everything, but I'll do my best to explain it to you.

"For eons, even before the Age of Chaos, the edges of the world have been surrounded by the void. As the darkness presses into the world, it hardens, solidifying a state of nothingness. Once an area becomes solidified, it can never return to being a part of the world. Afterwards, the void presses inwards again, taking up more.

"All around the border of the world, dragonlords help fight against the spreading void. They try to keep as much of the world in existence as long as they can. Using the power of the dragons, the Lords help fight the destruction with creation. Very basically, when a dragon uses an elemental attack, they create something in the nothingness, which dissipates the void."

"You kind of sound like Alistar when you talk like that," Sorey commented.

"It was him and Elise that explained it to me. They have kind of taken me under their wings since I got here, despite how much Elise says that there is no apprenticeship system in the clan."

"Why are you here anyways? I mean, how did you become a dragon?"

Mikleo looked away, shame written across his face. "You know how they say every seraphim needs a hobby. Mine was practicing my artes."

Sorey leaned around, trying his best to catch Mikleo's eye. "What happened to exploring ruins?"

"It wasn't the same without you." Mikleo spoke so quietly that Sorey almost didn't hear him.

"Hey," Sorey reached out to place a comforting hand on Mikleo's shoulder. "It's ok, I understand. I doubt I would have enjoyed exploring ruins without you either."

Mikleo placed his hand over Sorey's, relief and regret swimming in his eyes. Sorey's absence had left Mikleo with a complicated mess of emotions. Eventually, Mikleo found that ignoring the grief and longing was easier than dwelling on the turmoil, so he turned his back on all things that reminded him of his missing friend. Water artes were entirely unique to Mikleo, something he could make his own. Something that didn't involve Sorey. Yet, Mikleo couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something by neglecting his passion of exploring ruins for 700 years.

"But if you have become a dragon, that must mean you are really powerful!" Sorey smiled, making Mikleo's worries melt away.

"That's right, the most powerful. And don't you forget it," Mikleo stated, jabbing Sorey in the ribs.

"Hey!" Sorey laughed, making an attempt for Mikleo's ribs.

The two began a poking fight, jousting fingers flying across ill protected ribs and joyous laughs booming from their chests. Everything felt so easy with Sorey. None of the hardship surrounding Mikleo since his pilgrimage seemed so difficult anymore. Sorey had just shown up out of nowhere and set everything right. Mikleo couldn't be happier.

After the fight settled down, Mikleo spoke up again. "On a more serious note, Sorey, I've got something to ask you."

"What is it?" Sorey asked, feeling certain he already knew.

"Sorey, would you become my Lord?" Mikleo was blushing again.

"Yes."

"Don't just jump into things! Think about a little bit. Ask the other Lords what it is like, learn about what you are getting into!" Despite having asked, Mikleo seemed to be the one against the idea.

"You became a Sub Lord for me once, remember?" Sorey said calmly. "This doesn't seem all that different."

Mikleo looked down at his hands, embarrassed. "I guess you're right. I should have known you were already thinking about it."

"You know me well," Sorey laughed, standing up and stretching. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved."

"Then let's go to the Longhouse and get something to eat," Sorey suggested.

Mikleo nodded and stood up as well. He paused just before the curtain, looking down at Sorey's cloak. He looked like he was considering giving it back before stepping outside. Instead he shook his head and strode out into the sunlight. Mikleo's appearance in the clearing didn't go unnoticed. They were quickly waylaid by the three, blue haired seraphim who Sorey had met on his first night. Sorey had discovered soon after that they too were water seraphim, and were rather fond of Mikleo.

Mikleo blushed when the girl, who was named Machell, asked about Sorey's cloak. The large seraph, Terry, shook his head disapprovingly while the seraph with the scratchy voice, Artemis, smiled knowingly. They accompanied Mikleo and Sorey to the dining hall before excusing themselves and returning to their chores. Stepping inside, Sorey caught sight of Todd sitting with his dragon Nimway, Elise and Alistar. Todd waved Sorey over to join them. Mikleo was too busy filling his plate with sweet looking pastries to notice, so Sorey dragged him over the moment he got the chance.

"Made friends already?" Mikleo teased, content to join the small group.

"Yeah, Todd helped me get materials to clean your wounds while you were unconscious," Sorey explained.

"That must be why I don't have any bruises."

"Sorey is quite handy with an apple gel, I'm quite impressed," commented Todd, scraping out the last of his porridge.

"So Mikleo~," Nimway began. "Have something to tell us about your friend?" She winked suggestively to the water seraph.

Mikleo blushed and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Sorey beat him to it.

"I'm his Lord now!"

Todd spat food across the table

"Sorey!" Mikleo shouted. "It doesn't work like that."

"What he means is Mikleo asked him to be his Lord," Elise explained to the still very shocked looking Todd and Nimway.

"Oh," Todd chuckled relieved. "Here I thought I missed something very important. Congratulations Mikleo, it's about time."

"Well, it's not like there was anyone who could have become his Lord before," Nimway sassed, kicking Todd under the table.

"Ouch, guess you're right."

"Did Mikleo tell you about what becoming a Lord entails, Sorey?" Alistar asked, setting down his toast.

"Not really," Sorey admitted sheepishly.

"I'd be happy to fill you in, and answer any questions you have," Alistar offered.

"That would be our que to go," Todd announced, standing up. "I don't want to wait around and listen to you give him 'the talk.'"

"You don't have a problem with 'the talk' when you're giving it," Alistar shot back, grinning at Todd's evasion.

"It's weird giving 'the talk' to outsiders. Makes me uncomfortable," Todd admitted easily.

He and Nimway left the group, carrying their empty plates back to the kitchen window. Sorey turned his attention back to Alistar.

"So, just because Mikleo asked me doesn't make me a Lord, I take it?"

"No, it doesn't. But that's the first step," Alistar confirmed.

"There's a lot you need to learn, and then there's the Bonding Ceremony. After that you become a dragonlord," Elise added.

"Bonding Ceremony?" Sorey questioned.

"I've seen one before. It was quite… carnal," said Mikleo from behind a scone. "But, I didn't quite understand what was happening. What all goes into the ceremony?"

"You," Elise said, emphasizing her words, "are ready to know. He," she indicated Sorey, "still needs to be caught up on a few things."

"Oh, right...sorry."

"One thing at a time, Mikleo," Elise responded, voice softened with fondness.

Alistar continued his explanation for Sorey. "A bond between a dragon and his Lord is very intimate. When the two choose to go through the ceremony together, they are agreeing to share certain aspects of themselves with the other. The first thing you should know is that you will be sharing the same mind space."

"What does that mean?" asked Sorey.

"You will have a telepathic link," answered Elise. "The two of you will be able to communicate with each other along that link, sharing thoughts and emotions with your partner."

"And that's how the Lord helps with a dragon with controlling his power," said Sorey.

"You're right." Alistar said, sounding pleased at Sorey's good memory. "The shared mind space keeps the dragon grounded, passing some of the strain on to his human counterpart. Even if that fails, the Lord can help talk the dragon down through the telepathic link."

"But there are things you will share that you won't intentionally pass along to your partner too. Strong emotions or sensations can leap across the link. A prime example is pain. You would feel all the pain from the wounds that your dragon receives in battle."

"Why would Mikleo need to go out and fight?" Sorey asked defensively, his natural instinct to protect his best friend kicking in.

"It is the duty of all dragons in this clan to participate in fighting back the void. Surely Mikleo told you as much," Alistar said sternly.

"Besides, I want to fight. It would feel wrong to let the void encroach on our world when I'm in a position to do something about it," Mikleo said.

"Speaking of which," Elise jumped in, "I got permission to bring you along on the next strike."

"Really?" Mikleo seemed to brighten up at the prospect. "Even though I don't have a Lord yet?"

"You aren't the first unbonded dragon we have taken out into the void. So long as you can direct your attacks at the miasma and not your friends, we shouldn't have any problems. That and I promised to look after you."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" asked Sorey. He had quite a few reservations about the idea.

"No more dangerous than any other time we run a strike on the void," replied Elise dismissively.

"Well I don't want to miss the opportunity. I've felt useless ever since I learned what the dragons do for us against the void." Mikleo seemed like he wasn't going to let Sorey stop him from participating in the next strike.

"I know you have," smiled Elise.

Sorey fidgeted uncomfortably, and did his best to change the topic of conversation. "What else do dragons and Lords share once they are bonded?"

"The next thing is not too different from the first. They share a voice," said Alistar. "As I'm sure you noticed, dragons can't speak in the same tongue we do. In order to communicate while they are in their dragon form, they use their Lords to speak for them."

"It's customary that the Lord speaks in first person while communicating for his dragon, to reduce confusion," Elise added.

Sorey wasn't exactly sure how that reduced confusion, but he nodded along anyways.

"Not everything you share will be easy, however," Alistar continued. "As a Lord you will also inherit the sacred duty of your dragon to help fight back against the void, assuming your dragon is willing."

Sorey grimaced, he had hoped they had moved on from this topic. "Can they really say no though?"

"Not in good conscience." Mikleo said reproachfully.

"You are also cursed to share your dragon's lifespan," Alistar said.

"What do you mean cursed?"

"If your dragon dies, you die too," Elise clarified. "If you die, your dragon dies."

"Does that mean I will get to live as long as Mikleo?" Sorey asked, barely concealing the excitement in his voice. Ever since he was young, he had wished he could live as long as Mikleo. Imagining growing old and dying before Mikleo had always made Sorey sad. Being given the opportunity to live a long life with his seraph was like a dream come true.

"Living hundreds of years isn't all good. There's some bad things about it too," Mikleo warned, Alistar nodding in agreement.

"But, we'll get to be together!" Sorey's smile could light the darkest room.

Mikleo fell silent, smiling in return.

Alistar chuckled.

"I think that about covers things, right Alistar?" Elise stated. "Well Sorey, now that you know everything, will you accept the task of becoming Mikleo's Lord?"

"Yes," Sorey said confidently.

Mikleo beamed at his friend.

"I suppose I'll need to get you a change of clothes," Alistar said. "Something more fitting for a dragon Lord."

"I'll have to teach you how to embroider, Mikleo," Elise said.

"I know how to sew," Mikleo shot back. He and Sorey had grown up making their own clothing in Elysia.

"Embroidery is quite different from sewing, youngster," Elise responded, reaching up and ruffeling Mikleo's hair.

"Hey, cut that out. And I'm not that young."

"You are compared to me."

Alistar and Sorey laughed as Mikleo tried in vain to escape his mentor's taunting.

"How about you join me for a walk once you are done with breakfast, Sorey," Alistar offered. "I can take you to the local hot springs so you can freshen up."

"That's a good idea, you stink," Mikleo agreed. "When was the last time you bathed?"

"Um… 700 years ago?" Sorey said, not remembering his last bath.

"You mean you have been awake for three days and you haven't cleaned up? Did you even change you clothes?" Mikleo asked exasperated.

Elise and Alistar laughed again.

"While you're gone, Sorey, Mikleo and I can begin working on your vest. Now eat up you two, we are burning daylight!"


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next two days Mikleo worked tirelessly on Sorey's vest. As it turned out, the embroidered lapels on a Lord's vest were gifts from their dragons. This was a symbolic gesture, much like a Lord offering his dragon his cloak. Not only did it show affection, but indicated that they belonged to each other. The designs were supposed to represent the dragon in some way, or his relationship with his Lord. Each color scheme also had significance. In Mikleo's case, he would be using light blue, dark blue and white because he was a water seraph.

Sorey was excited to see Mikleo's work, but the water seraph wouldn't let him. No matter how hard Sorey tried to sneak a glance at the work in progress, Mikleo would always keep it well hidden. The day Mikleo finished happened to coincide with the day of the clan's next strike against the void. Sorey had woken up to see Mikleo crouched over his desk, muttering under his breath.

He sat up, shifting on the temporary mattress Alistar had thrown on the floor of Mikleo's cabin for Sorey. "You're up early," drowsiness slurring his speech.

"Yeah. I was just finishing this." Mikleo turned around, the dark gray vest hanging between his hands.

Sorey blinked, his mouth hanging open. White stitching outlined a very familiar pattern. A large circle sat in the widest part of each lapel. Wavy lines of white stretched down the edge, branching off three times under the circles, and came to points adjacent to the center of the circles. The points faced inwards, pointing towards the opening of the vest. Two more lines trailed off of each circle, like little tails waving towards the arm holes. This pattern looked exactly like the pattern on his Shepherd's cloak.

The white was offset by light blue bubbles and dark blue feathers, ornamenting the backdrop. Sorey was astounded by the handywork. Mikleo had made a beautiful design and it reminded Sorey of them both. Speechless, he held out his hands to take the vest. Sorey ran his fingers over the embroidery, marveling at the little bumps made by the thread.

"I thought you might need it for today," Mikleo said. "You are going to need to be there to send me off."

"Send you off?"

"The strike is today, remember? There's some preparations to make, but we should be leaving before noon."

"Oh, right. Sorry, I must still be waking up."

"Aright, but don't take too long. I'm going to go get breakfast. I'll meet you out in the clearing."

"Ok."

Mikleo walked out, grabbing up Sorey's cloak and tossing it over his bare shoulders on his way. Sorey had gotten pretty used to Mikleo's nudity by now. Many of the seraphim he had met at the keep had similar habits of dress. It all seemed pretty natural to them. When Sorey had brought the subject up with Mikleo, his seraph shrugged and said that something about transforming into a dragon made clothing feel forgine, and unnecessary.

Sorey was quick to dress himself and head over to the Longhouse. After gathering a plate of food, he joined Mikleo and Machell at one of the long tables. Machell was swinging her legs jauntily, the bench too high for her feet to reach the floor. Her oversized cloak flapped with each leg swing. She had been saying something to Mikleo, but cut herself off when Sorey sat down.

"Nice work lad," she said, eyeing Sorey's vest. "The white really stands out."

"Thank you," he said, blushing a little bit. Mikleo hadn't explained to anyone why he had chosen that particular pattern, keeping Sorey's past as a Shepherd a secret.

"You know, your cloak is a little big for you Machell," Sorey noticed.

"It's not my cloak, it's my Lord's cloak. And she is taller than me," Machell replied.

"Wouldn't it be easier on you to cut it down to a more manageable size?" Sorey suggested.

"I would never damage my Lord's cloak like that. That's disrespectful," Machell huffed, only pretending to be insulted at Sorey's ignorance.

"R-right. Of course," Sorey stammered, busying himself with his eggs.

"You know, Mikleo's cloak is a little big on him too," Machell teased.

"It's not that big," Mikleo defended. "Sorey isn't that much taller than me."

"But I am taller," Sorey added in, grinning when Mikleo huffed into his scone.

"Are you staying behind today too Sorey," Machell asked.

"He can't exactly ride an unbonded dragon," Mikleo answered. "That would be too dangerous, even if we weren't headed out into the void."

"Wait, ride?" Sorey asked surprised.

"Yes Sorey. How did you think the Lords accompanied their dragons on a strike?" Mikleo sassed.

"I should have expected that," Sorey said in a self deprecating tone, scratching the back of his head.

"Anyway, if you are going to stay behind then I can show you the best place to watch from!" Machell continued, not derailed in the slightest by Sorey and Mikleo's banter.

"I wouldn't have expected to be able to see much from here," Sorey admitted.

"Sometimes things escape from the void, and the dragons have to chase them down and disperse them. There's a ledge on one of the nearby cliff sides that is an excellent viewing platform. The roof of my cabin is also a prime location," Machell said excitedly.

"I thought there was nothing in the void, and that was the problem," Sorey said.

"Sometimes, when the dragons use their artes in the void, the darkness begins to create things to fight back. Which only helps us because then it is easier to fight," Machell explained.

"I see," said Sorey. "Why are you staying behind Machell?"

"Oh, my Lord is afraid of heights, so we don't go on many strikes."

"A Lord afraid of heights?"

"Yeah, she gets real tense, and has to shut her eyes when we fly over the canyon. Sometimes she even pulls out a few of my scales with how hard she clings to me. I find it rather endearing. She's usually fine once we get into the void. 'You can't tell how far from the ground you are when there isn't a ground.'" Machell quoted.

"Wow, the world really is filled with all kinds of people," Sorey marveled.

"You're just realizing this now?" Mikleo deadpanned, remembering the ex-mercenary, part time merchant part time assassin they had traveled with before Sorey defeated Heldalf.

Sorey laughed, and Mikleo gave him a fond smile.

"I like you Sorey," Machell declared, jumping down from the bench. "You're fun to be around. I'm glad Mikleo is going to make you his Lord. Anyways, see you at take off."

* * *

Preparing for take off turned out to have some ritual to it. The dragons and Lords who were participating in the strike all lined up in the clearing, each standing about a dragon's width apart. Each Lord was dressed in his embroidered vest and thick, hide pants. The dragons each wore the cloak of their Lord, looking proud of their station and kneeling next to their Lord. Around the outskirts of the clearing, all the other lords and dragons gathered to watch the take off.

Sorey and Mikleo were a part of the take off crew, but needed a lot of coaching from Alistar and Elise. Since Mikleo couldn't transform at will yet, Sorey stood at attention with a bucket of water. On the wing leader's signal, who happened to be Todd during this particular strike, the Lords reached over and pulled the cloaks off their dragons with a flurry. In a split second, dragons were transforming all around Sorey and Mikleo. Only small flashes of naked seraphim could be seen before gigantic, scaled bodies filled the clearing. Sorey realized for the first time that every seraph in the keep was completely naked under their Lord's cloaks.

Sorey and Mikleo waited for their que as the take off procedures continued. In unison, the Lords fastened their cloaks around themselves and the dragons lowered their heads to the ground. Each Lord climbed up behind their dragon's heads, some grabbing onto horns or feathers to stay on. Alistar looked ethereal, shrouded by Elise's black flames and sitting astride her neck confidently. He turned to Sorey and spoke in a voice that resonated with the sound of Elise's.

"Now Sorey."

With one hand, Sorey pulled his cloak from Mikleo's back, the other one awkwardly tipping the bucket of water over his head. He fumbled, and the water ended up soaking both boys in the process. Mikleo shivered, arms wrapping around his chest. This time, when he transformed, Mikleo didn't scream. He also didn't look to be in nearly as much pain. Pale skin split into beautiful scales as he grew larger and larger. Just as before, webbed spines appeared along Mikleo's joints, fanning out and flapping around his face. As Sorey watched the transformation, he noticed that there was a small space between the fins at the back of Mikleo's head and the one that ran down his neck just large enough for a human to sit in.

When Mikleo stopped transforming, his huge head swiveled around to look at Sorey. Sorey froze, remembering how unpredictable an unbonded dragon could be. He felt his heart racing in his chest as amethyst eyes stared him down, no hint of recognition in their depths. Mikleo opened his mouth, pearl white teeth dripping with drool and frigid breath escaping like a strong breeze. Sorey took a step back.

Elise reached around that moment and bit at Mikleo's foot, but Mikleo had been expecting this. He dodged quickly out of the way and came down hard on Elise's neck, biting deep into her flesh. Elise screamed, which was the only way Sorey could think to describe the high pitched wail that trumpeted from her throat. Alistar was cursing, and kicking Mikleo in the nose. Mikleo looked like he was about to thrash his head in an attempt to tear deeper into Elise, but was distracted by the sudden sound of wings flapping and talons scraping the ground.

The rest of the strike team had taken off, a total of seven dragons rising quickly into the sky and zooming towards the ominous void. Elise used the distraction to free herself from Mikleo's fangs and ran off to follow them, large globs of dark blood falling to the dirt. Sorey had half a mind to call her back, insist that she was in no shape to fight in the void like that, but he knew she wouldn't listen even if she could hear him. Mikleo followed behind Elise, not happy that his prey had escaped him. They disappeared together into the blackness, and a silence fell over the clearing.

"Damn brat, now we are going to have to clean this up," grumbled Terry, walking over to the splattered blood.

"I think the lad did very well. He is more aware of himself than I expected for a second transformation," Machell rebutted optimistically.

Sorey walked over to join them, feeling guilty over Elise's wounds.

"Don't touch the blood, human," Terry warned. "Dragon blood is corrosive."

Sorey grimiced and backed away a few paces. "Do you think she will be alright?" he asked.

"Who, Elise?" Machell replied. "Yeah, she'll be just fine. I'm sure Alistar is up there right now forcing her to take it easy. Besides, that looked like a dry bite."

"A dry bite?"

"Yes. When a dragon bites but doesn't use any of their venom," she clarified.

"A dragon's bite is venomous?"

"You really don't know anything, do you outsider," Terry said condescendingly.

"It's not his fault he is an outsider."

Sorey thought it was sweet that Machell was standing up for him.

"A dragon uses a potent, liquid magic in order to use their elemental breath attacks." Terry explained gruffly. "That liquid magic is stored in the dragon's fangs, much like the venom of a snake, hence the slang term. For a water dragon, that venom is essentially a freezing agent, allowing them to shoot frost from their mouths. Anything bit by a water dragon will have ice form in their blood."

Machell tiptoed over to Sorey. "Just so you know, that trait stays with the seraph after his first transformation as a dragon. So we can use our venom even in seraphim form." She grinned widely, showing off all of her teeth.

"Good to know," Sorey said warily.

Machell jumped and clapped her hands, giggling at Sorey's expression. "Come on, lets go sit on my roof and watch the fighting. We can leave Terry to clean this up."

"I don't mind helping," Sorey offered.

"No, go with Machell. You'd just get in the way," Terry said, dismissing Sorey with a wave of his hand.

Sorey allowed himself to be pulled away by Machell's tiny hand. She led him to one of the stone cabins with a blue curtain over the entryway. Along the left wall were a series of indentations that look suspiciously like conveniently placed claw marks. Machell clambered up the side of her cabin, glancing expectantly over her shoulder to see if Sorey was following.

"Hurry up Sorey," she called, disappearing over the edge of the roof.

"I'm right behind you," Sorey shouted after her.

After Sorey had climbed up on the roof, they settled down along the peak, looking out into the void. Sorey was surprised to see that Machell had been right. Occasionally a spark of light would flash in the depths of the darkness, illuminating the silhouettes of the fighting dragons. Fiery orange and red would highlight the action for a moment before fading to blackness. It was like watching someone flip through a picture book by sputtering candlelight.

As the battle progressed, strange shapes began to emerge alongside the dragon silhouettes. They started out as shapeless mounds, areas of void that had more mass than any other. Then they began to morph. Twisted aberrations of beasts took shape before Sorey's very eyes. Things that had too many legs, or gaping holes where bodies should be. This was the void fighting back, corrupting the dragon's creation magic to suit its own needs.

Hours past as Sorey and Machell sat on the roof. She would point out the shapes, and explain how they came into being. The strange shape that had tentacles probably was from a water dragon's artes. Trolls with two heads and three arms came from the earth dragon's power. Machell was so observant she could even tell which dragon was which just from the shadows they could see in the distance.

As the two sat in conversation, other Lords and dragons would pass by and ask for reports on the battle. They seemed so casual about asking that Sorey assumed Machell did this frequently. Every time they asked she would give them a snippet of information. Nimway and Todd had just defeated a bird with snakes for legs. Elise had almost dropped Alistar into the void, but she had caught him and he was back in place behind her head. Mikleo was still alive, and hadn't attacked any of the other dragons yet.

She seemed to be keeping close tabs on Mikleo, and Sorey suspected it was for his sake. With every other flash she would praise his fighting spirit, pointing out his silhouette even though Sorey couldn't follow along with the dancing images. Mikleo escaped many close calls, but seemed a more than proficient fighter. Sorey just wished he could be out there with him, fighting at his side like they always had.

The two became distracted from Machell's commentary when Elise and Nimway came bursting out of the void. Hurtling towards the keep, the dragons beat their wings frantically against the air, soaring high above the rooftops. Behind them chased a horrifying anomaly, as dark black as the void and writhing with hundreds of tentacles. It chased after the dragons with wings of its own, great, leathery monstrosities that appeared to bend and break with each powerful flap. A huge beak protruded from the front, open and dripping.

Elise signaled something to Nimway, her roar sounding more like a whistle. Todd and Nimway shot ahead of Elise. Once they were far enough ahead, they spun around and hovered in mid air. A circle of glyphs appeared below Nimway's clubbed, hind feet, light raising up and illuminating scales that looked like cracked mud. Sorey could barely make out Todd, gripping onto her tightly curled horns and shouting something into the air.

Suddenly, pillars of stone erupted from the mountain behind them, flying towards Elise and the aberration. Elise folded her wings to her sides and plummeted, just dodging out of the way of the flying stone. The monster was caught square in the beak. As the stone tore through the beast, it dissolved into smoke. Elise spread her wings at the last second before crashing into the ground, lifting as effortlessly on the wind as a bird. No sooner had the thing disappeared did Elise and Nimway turn back towards the void.

"Show offs," muttered Machell under her breath.

"What was that?" asked Sorey. "I haven't seen a dragon use a seraphic arte before."

"That's because they can't when they are on their own. A dragon can't speak human language. They require their Lord to speak the incantation," Machell informed him.

"So the Lord speaks the words, and the dragon provides mana to power the spell."

"That's right. You're a quick study."

Sorey chuckled modestly, scratching the back of his head.

"When you and Mikleo bond, you can do the same thing. He'll have to teach you the words, but you'll soon be out there fighting with the rest of them."

Sorey gazed back at the void. "I already know the words." He had heard them countless times during his journey as a Shepherd. Sorey could almost hear Mikleo's voice ringing in his head. By the power of water…

Machell studied Sorey's contemplative face. "You're weird. Even for an outsider."

"Oh, sorry. Is that so strange?"

"Yes, but you were friends right? He must have told you the words then."

Sorey let that explanation be, letting the silence settle between them. After a few minutes, Machell picked up her commentary again. The hours continued to pass, Machell never tiring of watching the fight. She admitted to Sorey that this was as close as she could get to the fighting sometimes, even though she wished she could be out there with the strike team. As time wore on, Sorey began to wonder how long the fight would last.

"Hey Machell, when are they coming back?"

"Once the sun sets," she replied around a mouthful of sandwich that one of the Lords had brought them. "It's pretty easy to tell when it gets darker in there."

"I'll take your word for it."

Sure enough, as the last crimson glimmers of sunset faded into dusk, the seven dragons emerged from the void. Sorey quickly spotted Mikleo in the center of the group, flying lower than the others with his head supported by Elise's. They landed in the clearing to scattered applause. Mikleo landed heavily, and Alistar barely had time to jump from Elise's neck before they both turned and fell to the ground. Elise was still bleeding from her neck, holding up a shaking Mikleo, both were gasping for air.

"Mikleo!" Sorey shouted, running up to them. He quickly unfastened his cloak and draped it around Mikleo's trembling form.

Alistar had done the same for Elise, and was shouting at someone to grab the gels and bandages.

Suddenly, Elise punched Mikleo hard on the arm.

"Ouch. Hey! What was that-"

"You're still conscious," Elise panted, smiling widely.

"...Your right," Mikleo realized, smiling as well. "Sorry about your neck."

"I'll be fine," Elise dismissed, waving a hand which switched into a pointed finger. "Don't do it again."

Mikleo smiled self deprecatingly. He couldn't easily promise that he could control himself in that state.

"Can you stand?" asked Alistar, who appeared to have lost a silent fight with Elise regarding her wounds.

"I'm not sure…" Mikleo was still shaking.

Sorey bent down and scooped Mikleo up, placing one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his shoulders. Mikleo yelped, grabbing onto Sorey's vest with trembling hands.

"I can take him home," Sorey said. "Thanks for looking out for him out there."

Sorey retreated across the clearing, pressing Mikleo close to his chest. Alistar waved them off, happy with any excuse to go back to fussing over Elise. Mikleo did his best to hide his blushing face behind his hair. Some of the Lords in attendance passed knowing smirks to each other, but no one stopped Sorey as he made his way to Mikleo's cabin. Once the curtain fell shut and blocked the view of the spectators, Sorey stopped. He was looking over Mikleo carefully, as if inspecting him for injuries.

"You can put me down now," Mikleo said after a moment.

"I was really worried about you," Sorey admitted, placing Mikleo on the bed tenderly.

Mikleo had stopped shaking at this point, and was able to hold himself upright. "After all we have been through together you still worry about me?" Mikleo asked acusitorally.

"Yeah, I do…" Sorey admitted, uncomfortable.

"I'm not some liability you know," Mikleo said, his voice darkening.

"That's not what I mean," Sorey almost shouted. Anger flared up in his chest. How could he make Mikleo see that he didn't think Mikleo was weak? This was an old argument that Mikleo really needed to get over. Sorey was just concerned about the safety of his most precious friend. It had nothing to do with Mikleo's capabilities. His fists clenched and unclenched. "And I always will," Sorey said quietly, turning away from Mikleo.

There was silence for a long moment, and Sorey refused to look at Mikleo.

"Maybe we should just go to sleep," Mikleo suggested quietly, sensing that this was one of Sorey's human things that he may never understand.

"Alright," Sorey muttered, stripping off his vest and rearranging the blankets on the spare mattress.

"You know, you don't have to keep sleeping on the floor. You're welcome to share the bed with me," Mikleo offered.

Sorey froze, hand hovering over the blankets. The two used to sleep together as children, sharing a small house in the corner of Elysia. However, when Sorey hit puberty, that had stopped. Gramps had done his best to explain to Sorey what was happening to him, but even the wise, old seraph's guidance had done little to ease Sorey's embarrassment. Mikleo didn't experience any of the things Sorey did at that time. He didn't grow hair in funny places, or wake up with an erection to explain.

"The bed is awfully small," Sorey said, blushing. He was making excuses.

"Oh, I see." Mikleo sounded put out. "I thought you might like some comfort, is all…"

"I appreciate it," Sorey said quickly, turning to face a downcast Mikleo. "I just don't think I would fit."

Mikleo nodded and turned his back to Sorey, facing the wall. Sorey followed suit, pulling off his shirt and burrowing under the covers. A strained silence fell over the cabin again.

"You know… most of the Lords share a bed with their dragons," Mikleo broke the silence.

"Is that so?" asked Sorey, wondering how Alistar managed to explain away his boners.

"Yeah…"

Silence again. Sorey set his mind to falling asleep when Mikleo said something else.

"I can talk to Terry in the morning about making a bigger bed."

"... Alright…" Sorey didn't know what else to say.

However, the tension eased some, and after a while Mikleo's breathing evened out. Sorey resolved to ask Alistar about how he slept with his seraphim in the morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Early the next morning, Sorey found Alistar preparing prickleboar hide for tanning by the bonfire. Sorey sat down next to him, fixating on the dying flames from the morning fire. He was nervous to talk with Alistar about what Mikleo had said last night, but he needed to get some questions answered. Alistar seemed like the safest option.

"Hey Alistar, I've got some questions to ask you," Sorey admitted.

"What do you need Sorey?" Alistar sounded genuinely happy to help.

"Mikleo offered to let me sleep with him last night…" Sorey trailed off, insecurity curling in his gut.

"Oh?" Alistar said, pausing to let Sorey continue. When he didn't Alistar said, "That doesn't really sound like a question Sorey."

"I know, sorry. I just… There's a lot to ask."

"Take your time." Alistar turned back to scraping the hides.

Sorey took a moment to collect himself. "Mikleo said that most dragons and Lords sleep together. Is that true?"

"Yes. After the bonding ritual it feels natural to sleep with your dragon."

"So, you usually start sleeping together after the bonding ceremony?"

"Not necessarily. Many start sleeping together even before the ceremony. Especially couples that grew up together like you and Mikleo."

"I see. But how do… I mean… How do you keep it from them?" Sorey finally blurted out.

"Keep what from who?" Alistar fixed Sorey with an even stare.

"Your dragon… that thing that happens…"

Alistar continued to watch Sorey, raising one eyebrow.

"I- um… grew up in a village with only seraphim. Being the only human, as I grew up, things started to change. Things that didn't change for Mikleo, and now… I don't know if this happens to other humans, but sometimes when I wake up… my groin… my genitals… are really stiff."

Alistar put a hand up to stop Sorey, "Ah, I see now. You're talking about 'morning wood.' Don't worry, that's completely normal for a human. It happens to me too."

"Really." Sorey felt relief wash over him.

"Yes. Don't worry too much. We are all pretty open about that kind of thing here. So you were wondering what to do if Mikleo found out that you popped a boner while you were sleeping."

"Yeah."

"You can just explain to him that it is a natural occurrence of the human body, and it has nothing to do with sleeping next to him. He may even already know."

"You make it sound so simple," Sorey said.

"You can make it that simple, if you want to," Alistar encouraged.

Sorey went back to watching the fire, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

"So Sorey, have you ever touched yourself when you are like that?" Alistar asked casually.

"Yeah, once. It felt good for a while, but when I stopped it became kind of painful."

Alistar blinked at him. "You mean you didn't make yourself orgasm?"

"Org-what?" Sorey suddenly felt like he was missing something.

Alistar rubbed his chin, considering Sorey for a moment. "How much do you know about sexuallity, Sorey?"

"What is sexuallity?"

"Oh boy. You said you grew up in a village of seraphim, but I didn't think it was this bad. Did they tell you nothing about how humans reproduce?"

"Gramps mentioned something about that," Sorey thought back. "He said when a man and a woman love each other very much, they get married and then have children, but that was about all he knew."

"That makes sense. Seraphim do understand the concept of love, but they don't have sexual desires like humans do."

"Am I hearing this right?" came a voice from behind them. Todd had walked up on them while they were in conversation. "Sorey is planning to become Mikleo's Lord and he doesn't know the first thing about sex?"

Sorey blushed, startled at Todd's sudden appearance. He shrugged apologetically while Alistar rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Todd burst out laughing. "You've got quite a bit of explaining to do there Alistar!" he guffawed. "To think the outsider doesn't even know what sex is. You must have come from quite a prudish village!"

"I think the term ignorant would be more appropriate," corrected Alistar.

Sorey was flushed with embarrassment as Todd sat down next to him, tossing a conspiratorial arm over his shoulder.

"So," there was a glint in Todd's brown eyes, "You've never wondered where babies come from."

"Sure I wondered, but I never put much thought on it. I had other things on my mind," Sorey's blush deepened.

"Todd, you're making Sorey uncomfortable," Alistar chastised.

Todd put his arms up in surrender, scooting over to give Sorey some space.

"What are you talking about?" said another new voice. Mikleo had walked up to the small group, Terry looming in his shadow.

"Nothing!" said Sorey quickly, pleading with his eyes for Todd and Alistar to keep quiet. Sorey was still quite uncomfortable talking about whatever this 'sexuality' thing was.

Mikleo hummed suspiciously, eyes narrowed at Sorey. "Then do you think I could get your help Sorey? Terry is going to help me build a larger bed frame, but we need to move the mattresses out first."

"Alright," Sorey agreed, fidgeting slightly at the thought of sharing a bed with Mikleo.

"How about we continue this conversation later, Sorey," Alistar offered. "Elise will be out all day hunting with the wind dragons, but tomorrow evening she will be back. We can talk about this and we can tell you more about the Bonding Ceremony."

"Thanks, that sounds great," Sorey said.

"Mikleo should come as well. The Bonding Ceremony has as much to do with him as it does you."

"I'll be there," Mikleo agreed. "Come on Sorey, let's get to work."

"Alright, thanks again Alistar."

Alistar waved the boys off. Sorey followed Mikleo and Terry back across the clearing and into Mikleo's cabin. He and Terry hauled the mattresses out, leaning them against the side of the cabin, while Mikleo began dismantling the current frame. The project ended up taking them all day, with Sorey being sent out repeatedly on errands. He fetched lumber, tools and food for the two seraphim while they worked on the frame. Terry seemed content to make the frame functional, while Mikleo seemed more focused on the athstetics. The contrast did not make for a well working team.

The finally finished constructing the frame when the hunting party returned that evening. Exhausted and dragging a sack filled with produce foraged from a nearby forest, Elies approached an arguing Mikleo and Sorey. Mikleo was upset that they didn't have time to make a mattress that fit the new frame for tonight.

"It will be fine Mikleo," Sorey was saying. "I can just use the old mattress tonight and we can make a new one tomorrow."

"But we put in all this work to get the frame ready for tonight," Mikleo argued.

"Why are you being so obstinate about this Mikleo! It's one more night."

Mikleo opened his mouth like he was about to say something. Then he huffed and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know."

"Huh?" Sorey was completely confused.

"I don't know!" Mikleo snapped.

"Think about it this way," Elise interjected, slapping a hand down on Sorey's shoulder, making Sorey jump. "Mikleo is responding to his new dragon instincts."

Sorey turned around to give Elise a clueless stare, one that was reflected in Mikleo's face.

"Dragons are possessive by nature. You are his best friend and soon to be Lord. Mikleo is probably just trying to hoard you in his nest."

"Oh! I get it," Sorey said, fist landing in his palm.

"You don't have to put it like that," Mikleo sputtered embarrassed.

"Don't worry Mikleo, we've all been there. I wouldn't let Alistar take his eyes off me the week before our Bonding Ceremony," Elise chuckled. "I'm going to take this to the kitchens. You boys should consider getting something to eat. Might make finishing your nest easier."

"It's not a nest, it's a perfectly normal bed," Mikleo shouted after Elise, who was still laughing to herself.

"She's right, let's go get food," said Sorey. "Then I'll help you with the mattress," Sorey said, following Elise to the Longhouse.

"But I want- wait… What did you say?"

"Come on Mikleo!"

* * *

Sorey and Mikleo shared a bed that night. They had managed to rip the seams of the two single mattresses they already had and sew them back together without too much hassle. By the time they were finished, Mikleo was so tired he only had the energy to slip out of Sorey's cloak and flop down on the new bed. Sorey took a little more time to arrange himself.

He thought about stripping down to only his boxers like he normally would for sleeping, but then figured that would be too awkward. Instead he left on his off white shirt, which smelled faintly of sweat from the long day of running around. Sorey slipped carefully into bed, not wanting to disturb the already sleeping Mikleo. He kept himself to his side of the bed, rolling to face away from the seraph. Hopefully he wouldn't invade Mikleo's space while he was sleeping. Sorey didn't want to make Mikleo uncomfortable.

When Sorey awoke the next morning, he found himself curled around something warm and heavy. He felt relaxed, as if he had the best sleep of his life. Something was brushing lightly against his hand, rubbing back and forth across the palm. He hummed contentedly, burying his face into soft, silver hair. It crossed his mind that Mikleo was playing with his fingers, and didn't seem to mind the snuggling. As Sorey pressed closer, Mikleo spoke.

"You know, our hands are almost the same size. My fingers are a little longer, but you palm is wider."

"Mmm," Sorey grunted, not quite awake yet.

Mikleo pulled Sorey's hand into his chest, wrapping Sorey's big arm around his lithe chest. Sorey could feel soft, warm skin press under his fingertips. To his immediate embarrassment, his penis twitched in response, brushing against Mikleo's back side.

"Sorey, what was that?"

Sorey froze, he didn't know what to say. "That's… that's normal."

"Ok, but what is it," Mikleo asked, turning to face his friend and putting some distance between him and Sorey's crotch.

Sorey sat up, pulling a pillow into his lap. "Sometimes I'm like this when I wake up. Don't worry though, it happens to all humans."

"So it's a condition where your penis gets larger and stiffer when you wake up…" Mikleo pondered, sounding like he was examining some ancient artifact in a ruin. "Does it only happen when you wake up in the morning."

"No," Sorey admitted shyly.

"Why didn't you mention this to me before?" asked Mikleo, sounding genuinely curious.

"Well… I dunno… It doesn't happen to you so… I thought I was weird."

"You are weird," Mikleo said.

Sorey pouted.

"But you don't have to worry about that. You can share anything with me, I promise not to make too much fun of you," Mikleo reassured Sorey.

"But you just did!"

"Touche."

Mikleo paused and studied Sorey for a moment, but Sorey didn't feel uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze. If anything he felt relieved that his best friend didn't think he was gross. He really could share anything with Mikleo, and Sorey knew Mikleo would have his back.

"Can I see it?" requested Mikleo, breaking the silence.

Sorey nodded, recognizing it was just Mikleo's natural curiosity and not some desire to embarrass Sorey further. "I guess that's alright."

Sorey lifted himself on to his knees and slid his boxers down just low enough to allow his erection to spring free. The cool air on his penis felt strange, and he felt the apandage grow firmer. At this rate, Sorey would be in for a painful morning.

"Wow, it stands up on its own," Mikleo marveled.

Before Sorey could stop him, Mikleo reached out and brushed his fingers lightly across the end of Sorey's peins. Sorey jumped and grabbed Mikleo's wrist as little tingles of pleasure shot down the length of this genitals.

"Wait," Sorey said.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Mikleo apologized.

"No…" Sorey admitted, blushing. "It felt good. I just wasn't expecting it."

"If it felt good, do you want me to keep touching you?"

"I don't know… maybe? I guess you can if you want to." Sorey felt strange. He didn't know what would happen if Mikleo kept touching him, but something about what Alistar had said was still bothering Sorey.

Mikleo smiled and slowly lowered his hand to Sorey's groin. His second touch was even more tender than the first, fingertips brushing delicately across wrinkled skin.

"Wow, it's so warm," said Mikleo, wrapping his fingers around the base. "And it's really stiff. I would almost think there was a bone in there if I didn't know any better."

Sorey groaned deep in his throat as Mikleo ran his grasping fingers up the length of his penis. Pleasure unlike anything he had felt before pierced Sorey deep into the core. His entier mind focused on the sweet pressure Mikleo's hand provided his aching genitals. "Mikleo… Do that again."

Mikleo did, this time grabbing tighter. "If I hold tight enough I can feel the veins beating. That's amazing, do you think this has something to do with blood flow?"

Sorey shook his head, not coherent enough to come up with a response. He bit his lip, heat rising to his face as Mikleo continued to pump his hand up and down Sorey's cock. Sorey could feel the pleasure intensifying, getting stronger each time Mikleo's fingers brushed past the head. Ever so slowly, Sorey was beginning to lean forward towards Mikleo. Before he toppled over, he reached out and grabbed Mikleo's shoulder, using his grip as an anchor to steady himself. Mikleo's attention remained unwavering.

"Are you in pain?"

"No," Sorey breathed out.

"Do you feel good?"

"Yes," Sorey was gasping lightly.

"Should I go faster?" Mikleo was smiling widely, looking pleased at the mess Sorey was becoming.

"I… don't know…"

Mikleo took initiative and began moving his hand faster. Sorey moaned louder this time, the building pleasure consuming all conscious thought. He felt the muscles in his abdomen growing tighter and tighter, little tremors beginning to quake along his thighs and arms. Sorey's breath was coming out in short pants, and his heart was pounding in his ears. All the pleasure seemed to be building up to some kind of peak. Sorey didn't know what would happen when he reached that peak. He was equal parts scared and excited to find out.

Sorey felt Mikleo reach his other hand out to steady him. "Don't… stop…" He didn't know what was happening, but he knew he didn't want it to stop.

A moment later, everything came to a violent end. Waves of pleasure erupted from his groin, causing a shout to spring from his mouth. His body twitched instinctually, rubbing himself on Mikleo's grasping hand. Darkness fell on the world as his eyes snapped shut, and nothing in his mind registered except blissful contentment. It took him a few moments to come back to the world, realizing belatedly that he had collapsed on Mikleo.

"Sorry," Sorey muttered.

Mikleo was examining something white and sticky on his hand, sniffing it curiously.

"Did that come from me?" Sorey asked.

"Yes. It came out of your penis when you shouted."

Sorey blushed a deep scarlet. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I don't think it was intentional. Besides, it's not hurting me." Mikleo looked positively serene at the mysterious substance.

Sorey reached over the end of the bed and pulled a towel off the clothes hanger. He handed it to Mikleo, not looking in his eyes. "Do you think anyone heard me?" he asked in a small voice.

"Probably. But it's not an uncommon sound around here," Mikleo said dismissively.

Sorey buried his face in his hands, embarrassed at the sounds he had been making moments before.

Mikleo swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched, tossing the towel on top of the dirty clothing pile.

"Wait- Mikleo," Sorey said. "Do you want me to… for you…"

"Thanks, but I don't think I need it," Mikleo replied.

When Sorey looked down he saw that Mikleo's penis was as relaxed as it always was. This only added to Sorey's embarrassment. He felt weird, and strangely satisfied. Sorey shook his head, trying to chase away his insecurity. Mikleo, on the other hand, looked extremely proud of himself.

"Want to go get breakfast?" Mikleo asked, draping one of Sorey's cloaks over his shoulders.

"I think I want to stay here a little longer. I'm not sure I'm ready to face everyone yet."

"Suit yourself," Mikleo said.

In all honesty, Sorey really did look a mess. His skin was flushed, and his hair was all messed up from sleep. Dilated, emerald eyes darted left and right with nerves. Sorey looked only a little more stable since he collapsed on Mikleo. Yet, Sorey said he had felt good. Mikleo would have to believe him. This must be a human thing that Mikleo didn't understand. Maybe Alistar and Elise could explain it to him. Mikleo turned his back on the room and left, greeted by a wolf whistle from Machell as he stepped into the clearing.

* * *

That evening, Mikleo and Sorey met with Alistar at his cabin. Sorey had finally worked up the courage to show his face to the rest of the clan, only to find that no one said anything to him. What he and Mikleo had done that morning was so incredibly normal, that it didn't need any commentary. To Sorey's surprise, that made him feel a lot more comfortable. As he stood at the purple curtain covering Elise and Alistar's cabin, Sorey's mind swam with questions.

"Are you going to stand there or are you going in?" asked Mikleo from behind him.

Sorey realized he was blocking the stairs. "Right, sorry. I'm going in."

He pushed the curtain aside and stepped in. Elise and Alistar's cabin was a bit larger than Mikleo's. This one had two rooms. One room had a couch, a book shelf, a small table, some cabinets and a small wood stove. The other room had a bed in the center, small tables with drawers set on either side. This cabin felt more like a home than Mikleo's, probably because Elise and Alistar had lived here longer. Elise was over by the cabinet, fiddling with a jar of tea leaves and a ceramic pot Sorey recognized as one of the teapots from the Longhouse. Alistar was sitting on the couch waiting for them.

"Hello boys. Please come in and sit down," he offered graciously.

"Thanks," Mikleo said, sitting down in the middle of the couch.

Sorey sat next to Mikleo on one of the ends. With this arrangement there wouldn't be room for Elise. Yet she didn't seem to mind, keeping herself busy with the tea.

"Are you ready to learn more about the Bonding Ceremony?" Alistar asked, smiling pleasantly at the boys.

"Yes. We need to know more if we are going to go through it," Mikleo said.

Alistar nodded. "The Bonding Ceremony is as much a ritual as it is a celebration. As a clan, we celebrate the binding of two souls and the beginning of a dragon-lord partnership. During the ritual, you two will participate in forming a very strong, magical pact with each other. This is not as simple as taking an oath or forming a pact with a Prime Lord, like you did when you were a Shepherd. You are using mana from your souls to link yourself to the other eternally."

Alistar paused, letting the information sink in.

"I understand that much, but how does this happen?" Mikleo asked.

Sorey was happy to let Mikleo lead the conversation.

"Very basically, we utilize powerful emotions to entwine the soul, and magic to bind them. We take advantage of a dragon's desire to possess and claim, and a human's desire for love and connection. During the height of ingercourse, a dragon will fill the human will his magic, as witnessed by their family and friends in the clan. Now let me stop here and explain a few things to Sorey. He told me he doesn't know anything about sex."

"There wasn't exactly anyone around to teach him while we were growing up in Elysia." Mikleo flashed Sorey an apologetic look.

Sorey smiled reassuringly back.

"Sex is, in essence, the way humans reproduce. A male human sticks his penis into a female human's vagina and injects his seed into her. Over the next nine months a human child grows within the woman, and then she gives birth to a baby. Does that make sense?"

Sorey nodded, remembering the white stuff that came out of his penis that morning.

"There's more to it than that," Elise interjected. "Alistar is just giving you the science of mating."

"It sounds simple enough. What more can there be?" asked Sorey.

"Sex has a very large emotional component. The act, for one, feels extremely good. Many people describe intercourse as euphoric. Reaching an orgasm can be overwhelmingly satisfying."

"What's an orgasm?" interrupted Sorey. It had been bothering him all day.

"Is that when the white, sticky stuff comes out?" asked Mikleo.

Alistar looked surprised, lifting one eyebrow. "It is. How did you know?"

"An educated guess," Mikleo said, sparing Sorey the embarrassment of recounting their morning activities.

Alistar let the explanation stand without further question. "Because of the emotional side of sex, many people view the act as extremly intamate. They will only have sex with someone they trust whole heartedly, some even going so far as to only have sex with the person they love the most in the entier world."

"So, people don't just have sex will nilly," Sorey noted, feeling a little ashamed of what he and Mikleo had done this morning.

"Not necessarily," Elise replied, setting down three cups of tea on the table. "Each human decides for himself who they have sex with. So long as both parties are comfortable with the situation, there's nothing wrong with it."

Sorey picked up his tea, feeling a little less ashamed.

"Does sex only happen between a man and a woman?" Mikleo asked, clearly fascinated by this human construct.

"Not exclusively," Alistar answered. "Two men and two wemon can have sex and still feel the same levels of ecstasy. However, in order for a child to be created, the sex has to happen between a man and a woman."

"I see," Mikleo said, blowing steam off of the top of his mug.

"So…" Sorey wondered aloud. "What does sex have to do with the Bonding Ceremony?"

"The ceremony revolves around the dragon and the Lord having intercourse," Elise supplied.

Sorey stared at Elise stunned.

"Intercourse and sex are the same thing," said Mikleo, misreading Sorey's silence.

"I figured that out," Sorey said. "I just thought… you know… since sex was so intamate it would be more… private."

"It is, in other places. In the dragonlord clans, sex is not attached to the same stigmas," Alistar explained. "You can have sex privately if you want, but no one here will shame you if you do otherwise. We've all seen it before, most of us have done it before."

"But it's so… weird…" Sorey mumbled.

"It's only weird because it's new," Elise said gently. "With time that will fade, and your confidence will foster comfort."

The group fell into silence, sipping at the tea Elise had made.

"Can you explain to us the process of the ceremony?" Mikleo asked. "What goes into the ritual, why do we do it?'

"Sure," said Alistar. "First, you prepare your bodies. You clean in the hot springs and we paint runes on your skin. The runes help facilitate the passing of the dragon's magic into the human. Then we wait until nightfall. A huge bonfire is built in the clearing and the celebration begins. Ritual drums are brought out and there's dancing and singing. We celebrate the union of the dragon and the human, the end of the dragon's insanity and the beginning of a close relationship between the two.

"When the moon is highest in the sky, the dragon and Lord lay down to have sex with each other. At this point, the dragon does their best to bring pleasure to their human. They are giving the human ultimate happiness, that only they can experience in this moment. As the human gets closer to ecstacy, their soul opens up to forge a connection with the dragon. At the moment of orgasm, the dragon bites down on the human, pouring his magic into the human's soul and cementing the bond. This also marks the human as belonging to the dragon, satisfying the dragon's need to possess." Alistar pulled down the collar of his shirt, showing off a small scar over his collar bone.

"That is when the dragon has to be most careful," Elies said, looking at Mikleo. "He has to make sure not to inject his venom into the human, or else he may kill the Lord before the pact is forged."

"What do you mean most careful," Mikleo asked suspiciously.

"The euphoria of the ceremony, heightened emotions, powerful magic, all can trigger a dragon's transformation. If the dragon transforms, he risks injuring or killing the human," Elise explained.

"So, I could die?" Sorey alsked alarmed.

"It's very rare," Alistar reassured. "And you will have the support of the clan nearby. That's part of why we all will be there. To guide you along the process and make sure nothing gets out of hand."

"Sex after the bonding ritual is much safer, when you both share the same mind space," Elise added.

"You have to have sex after the ceremony?" Sorey asked, not sure he was ready to commit to so much sex.

"No, you don't have to. There are many dragons and Lords that never have sex again after the ceremony," Alistar said.

"As you know," Elise explained, "seraphim don't have sexual desires. They don't reproduce like humans do, and they don't get the feelings of ecstacy from sex that humans do. But that doesn't mean it isn't satisfying for them."

"How so?" asked Sorey, watching Mikleo blush lightly.

"There's something about helping your partner achieve that level of bliss that is enormously gratifying," Elise told him. "But if it makes you feel better, there are ways to help the seraphim feel similar sensations that the human does."

"Really?" asked Sorey, his interest peaking.

"After the ceremony, some amount of sexual pleasure can be passed along the mind link. During the ceremony, there is another option."

Elise crossed the small room and opened up one of the cabinets. She pulled out a red, ceramic jar and brought it over to the table. Mikleo lifted the lid curiously to reveal that the jar was partially filled with dried tea leaves.

"This is a ceremonial tea. It has damiana, sarsaparilla, hibiscus, ginger and ginseng. They work as an aphrodisiac, stimulating a sexual response in seraphim. The seraph body will begin to respond to stimulus as if they were a human, simulating human sexual pleasure. It works better on seraphim that were humans once, than seraphim that were born seraphim."

"Why would the seraph use the tea?" asked Mikleo, taking a pinch of leaves and sniffing them.

"Sharing the sexual experience can help increase the connection between the two souls, and may make the human feel more comfortable," Alistar answered.

"How so?" asked Mikleo.

"It can be a little embarrassing when you are the only one feeling that way," Sorey answered quietly.

Mikleo nodded in understanding. "Do I have to use the tea?"

"No. The decision is entirely yours, Mikleo," Elise told him.

"Why do you have so much?" asked Sorey suspiciously.

"I used it during our ceremony," said Elise, "and I rather enjoyed the sensation. Now we use it from time to time."

"Can I try some?" asked Mikleo, eyeing the pot of hot water.

Sorey blushed, imagining Mikleo in the same state he was this morning.

"Not right now. The effects can be rather dramatic, and I don't want you experimenting in my living room," Elise said. "You are welcome to take some with you when you leave."

"Thank you," Mikleo said.

"There's one more thing you should know about sex during the ceremony," Alistar said. "The Bonding Ceremony requires as much skin on skin contact as possible to help the dragon's magic flow between the two. This means that one of you will need to penetrate the other."

"Penetrate?" Sorey asked confused.

"One of you will stick his penis in the other," Elise explained.

Sorey's eyes widened. "But how? I don't have a vagina."

Elise laughed. "No, I'm sorry for laughing. You don't have to have a vagina, and you don't have to be the one that is penetrated."

"Oh," Sorey muttered.

"Who is the penetrator and who is the penetratee is up to the two of you to decide," Alistar continued. "I suggest you talk it over with each other well before the ceremony so that there isn't any confusion. Communication is key to success. As for how, that's up to you as well. Since you are both male, either one of you could use his mouth on the other, sucking on his penis, or one of you can put your penis into the other's anus."

"But the dragon is supposed to provide pleasure to the human," Mikleo confirmed. "Does that mean either option can provide that?"

"Yes," answered Alistar. "The penis is considered an erogenous zone. Stimulus there, like being touched, can make the human aroused and bring him to orgasm. There is another erogenous zone just inside the anus on the other side of the anal wall. This is called the prostate, and pressure exerted there can be quite pleasurable. Although, that one can be a little harder to find."

"Are there other erogenous zones?" Mikleo asked with unveiled curiosity.

Alistar chuckled at his enthusiasm. "That is something you would have to find out for yourself. They are different for every human."

Sorey crossed his arms over his chest, feeling guarded. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Of course, take your time. Only do what is comfortable for you," Alistar encouraged. "I only suggest it because a little practice beforehand might make you more comfortable during the ceremony."

"Right," said Sorey, remembering what Elise had said. Confidence fosters comfort.

"Is there anything else we should know?" asked Mikleo

"I think that's enough for now," Elise decided. "Sorey looks overwhelmed as it is."

"I'm fine," Sorey insisted, trying his best not to look too out of sorts.

"We can always talk about this later. And I'm happy to answer any questions you might have in the future," Alistar said.

"Go home and get some rest," Elise urged. "I think Machell wanted to do something with you both tomorrow. You will need some sleep."

"Alright. Thank you for all the information," Mikleo said, placing his empty tea mug on the table.

Sorey nodded to Alistar and Elise and followed Mikleo out.

The moment they were on the other side of the curtain, Mikleo turned and said, "Sorey, I want to try and find your prostate."

"Tonight!?" Sorey said, shocked. He heard Elise and Alistar burst into laughter. More quietly, he said, "Haven't we done enough for one day."

"I guess you're right," Mikleo admitted, looking disappointed. "But promise me you'll let me try later."

"Ok, ok. I promise. Now can we stop talking about it."

Mikleo nodded and led the way across the darkening clearing. Sorey wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep up with Mikleo's curiosity, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.


	7. Chapter 7

"I want to take you on your first flight."

Sorey blinked. There was a small, blue haired seraphim sitting at the end of his bed. More accurately, Machell was sitting on his feet, stark naked, staring at him expectantly. Mikleo was wrapped around Sorey's arm, face buried in the sleeve of his shirt. The sleeping seraph grumbled incoherently, snuggling closer to Sorey. Sunlight streamed in through the window, the rosy sunbeams suggesting that it had just risen.

"What?" Sorey asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes with his free hand.

"I want to take you two out flying," Machell repeated.

She jumped off the bed, leaving Sorey's feet tingling sharply. She walked up and tapped Mikleo's head.

"Wake up Mikleo," Machell ordered.

"Five more minutes," Mikleo whined, burrowing closer to Sorey's warmth.

"No, it's time to go."

"Machell, we haven't even had breakfast yet. Can't this wait a little bit?" Sorey asked, half sitting up in bed.

She stomped her foot. "Fine, but hurry up." Machell left the cabin, sending the curtain swishing in her wake.

Sorey turned to Mikleo, who's angry, amethyst eyes glared harshly.

"I don't want to get up," he grumbled.

"You had no problem getting up yesterday," Sorey pointed out.

"That's because you didn't wake up at some unholy hour like you usually do."

"I think I wake up at a very normal time," Sorey defended.

Mikleo narrowed his eyes, before rolling over, dragging Sorey's arm with him.

"Hey, ouch. Mikleo! I need that," Sorey protested.

Mikleo shook his head and covered himself with the blanket. "You're warm," was the only explanation Sorey would get.

Slowly, tenderly, Sorey extracted his arm from Mikleo's possession. Then he got up and dressed himself for the day. He could already feel heat wafting into the cabin. Today was likely to be exceedingly warm. Putting on his vest, Sorey ran his fingers fondly over Mikleo's embroidery. He felt happy, thinking that soon enough he would be Mikleo's Lord. Sorey would be able to pay Mikleo back for being his Sub Lord all those years ago. Smiling to himself, Sorey stepped outside.

Machell hadn't gone far. She was chatting with a much larger woman by the fire pit. The woman smiled at something Machell said, and ruffled her hair. Machell beamed at the attention, puffing her chest out with pride. Sorey assumed that this person was special to Machell, given that her strong willed nature wouldn't accept that kind of affection from just anyone. Judging from the length of Machell's cloak, which looked like it would fit the large woman nicely, and the blue lapels on the woman's vest, this must be Machell's Lord. Sorey waved when Machell caught him staring.

The woman looked between him and her seraph for a moment. Then she grabbed Machell, pulling her into a firm kiss. Sorey blushed, averting his eyes. However, Machell seemed to appreciate the public display of affection. She bounced over to Sorey and elbowed him in the ribs.

"You look embarrassed, outsider," she teased, knowing that Sorey was still getting used to their customs.

"Oh, well…" Sorey didn't have any excuses. Machell wasn't the first seraph he had seen kissing a human.

"That," she punctuated the word, "was my Lord, little Lilly. She's the best Lord here."

"I see," said Sorey, beginning to walk towards the Longhouse. Sorey thought it was endearing how the much smaller Machell called Lilly 'little.'

"She was showing you that she belongs to me, and that you could never replace her," Machell explained, sounding proud.

"Is that important?" Sorey asked.

"Yes!" Machell shouted, sounding offended. Then she deflated. "But you're a human, you wouldn't understand."

"I might," Sorey defended. "Try me."

"Do you know what it's like to possess a precious few things in the world. To have one thing in all of existence that truly understands you, and can guard you from the clutches of insanity?" Machell challenged.

"I suppose I don't," admitted Sorey.

"See, you don't understand. Dragons covet their relationship to their Lords. Don't forget that outsider."

"Right. Thanks for the advice."

Sorey had finally made it to the Longhouse. He picked out a plate of meat and eggs, before sitting down across from a waiting Machell.

"Did you wake Mikleo up?" she asked impatiently.

"He'll get up on his own. He never was much of an early riser."

Machell huffed, stealing a slice of bacon.

Sorey chuckled at her unbridled excitement.

She nibbled on the bacon contemplatively. "I would have thought that going flying would have woken him right up."

"Why are you so excited to take us flying today?" Sorey asked curiously.

"Every Lord needs to know what it's like to soar through the skies on the back of a dragon. It's the reason most humans become Lords in the first place, except for maybe Alistar. You don't know what it's like. I don't get the honor of providing a human his first flight every day."

"What's different about Alistar?"

"That's his story to tell, not mine," Machell evaded, closing the topic of discussion.

There was a short pause while Sorey chewed on his eggs. "And your Lord is comfortable with you taking me, even though, as you said, she is your Lord?"

"Yes. She's afraid of heights anyways, and she knows I don't get to go flying as often as I would like."

Sorey nodded, smiling at the thought. He couldn't deny being interested in what it was like to ride a dragon. Ever since he saw Alistar mount Elise with such confidence, Sorey had been wondering what happened between a dragon and his Lord in the air.

"Assuming your dragon will be ok with it," mused Machell. Before Sorey could ask what she meant, she said, "Speak of the devil."

Mikleo came striding up to the table, a scone in one hand and Sorey's cloak draped over the other arm. Sorey blushed at Mikleo's nudity, averting his gaze.

"Mikleo, you're not wearing my cloak…" he muttered shyly.

"It's too hot for such thick clothing," Mikleo retorted, still a little grumpy from having woken up. "You know, you are going to need to get used to this if you are going to be living here Sorey. Dragons don't wear clothes."

"I know… I'm just not used to seeing you without clothes," Sorey said quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Mikleo, starting to sound offended.

"Don't be mad, Mikleo," Machell cut in. "It's a good thing that Sorey only reacts to you like this."

"It is?" Mikleo deadpanned.

"Yes. I'm told it's a form of human affection to become overwhelmed when you see the one you find special naked," Machell explained in that detached, academic voice all seraphim seemed to use when talking about 'human affection.'

"Oh," said Mikleo, his irritated demeanor shifting to one of self satisfied pride. "So you like what you see?" he asked Sorey, showing off his body to the blushing brunette.

Sorey wasn't sure if he wanted to melt into the ground or just hiding his face in his plate of food. He opted to shovel the rest of his eggs into his mouth so he had an excuse not to answer.

"Don't be cruel, Mikleo," Machell chastised. She attempted to steal another slice of bacon from Sorey's plate, only to have Mikleo slap her hand away. Undeterred, she asked "Did you hear what I said this morning? I want to take you two on your first flight."

"I thought I would be the one to take Sorey on his first flight," Mikleo shot back, sounding irritated again. "He is going to be my Lord after all."

"He is, but dragon's don't take their Lords on the human's first flight. You don't know this since you haven't been here long, but humans usually have their first flight on a good friend or a respected elder while they are still very young. Sorey is a bit of an anomaly, having grown up outside the clans," Machell explained.

"Is that really so weird?" asked Sorey. "I don't see very many human couples around, and there aren't any kids."

"That's not how it works here," Mikleo said darkly. "It's one of the things I haven't quite come to terms with about the dragonlord clans."

"And you never will," Machell agreed. "You're a dragon after all. The practice is only barely forgivable."

"What is?" asked Sorey, feeling left out.

"Every few years, the human Lords from all four corners of the world gather to reproduce. At least one representative from each clan is required to go. There, they mate, in order to insure there are new Lords for the next generation."

"Ok. What's so bad about that?" Sorey would have thought that in a community that views mating so openly, this would be no big deal.

"Because you're mine," spat Mikleo, hands trembling and eyes pulsating between slited and dilated.

"Calm down Mikleo," Machell said, placing a comforting hand on his. "Sorey isn't going anywhere."

Mikleo closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"We seraphim know that humans view sex as a strong, bonding experence. We carry sensitivity to the strong emotions behind intercourse, even if we do not feel it ourselves. Knowing that we are the only ones to give that kind of experience to our Lords is very important to our territorial sides. Knowing your Lord is out there doing that kind of thing with some other creature can feel like a betrayal."

"I understand," Sorey said.

"However, we must also understand the need for humans to reproduce. If there are no new Lords, then we have to leave the dragons on their own to go insane. And there are never enough Lords."

Mikleo nodded, knowing the fear of not having a viable Lord to bond with.

"And I suppose it isn't all bad. The pregnant Lords return home to their dragons, and they get to raise the child as if they were their own," Machell conceded.

"So the child doesn't grow up with the father and mother?" Sorey asked. Being an orphan, he felt sorry for the young dragonlords.

"No, I heard that the parents never even meet each other. They wear masks or something. But the kids don't grow up parentless. The dragons tend to care for the child like their own, getting a chance to be a parent that they wouldn't otherwise get."

"Have you ever gotten that chance?" Sorey asked.

"No, I've never let Lilly go." Machell pondered for a moment, toying with a loopy earring. "I think the last person from our clan to go was Alistar. Elise didn't talk to him for a month afterwards."

Sorey grimaced, remembering the time she had bit Mikleo without being mad at the dragon. He didn't want to know what she was capable of when enraged.

"I think that may be why she is so attached to you, Mikleo," Machell speculated. "You're like the child she and Alistar can never have together."

Mikleo blushed, light pink dusting his pale cheeks. "I don't know about that…"

"Well, whatever. Hurry up and eat you two, I want to go flying."

* * *

Machell had already transformed by the time Mikleo and Sorey made their way out to the clearing. She was, by far, the smallest dragon Sorey had seen. Machell was barely larger than one of the cabins, and Sorey began to wonder if her diminutive size was part of the reason her Lord was so afraid of flying. She had dark blue scales that seemed to ripple like the ocean waves. Just like Mikleo, she had webbed spines running along her tail and joints, but they were also surrounded by waving tendrils. The effect was that of a furry fish, which Mikleo and Sorey agreed was kind of cute.

When Machell caught sight of them she stretched, showing off her body in the glowing sunlight. Sorey was surprised to see that she had two sets of wings, instead of the usual one pair like all the other dragons had. Next to Machell's head stood Lilly, who was rubbing small circles across the ridge of her dragon's eye. The Lord smiled to the pair, beckoning them over.

"Climb on when you are ready," Lilly spoke, an echo of Machell's voice in her own.

Sorey nodded and stepped over the long neck, straddling just behind Machell's head. He offered a hand to Mikleo, who rolled his eyes and clambered on behind Sorey without help. Before sitting down, Mikleo placed Sorey's cloak over Machell's sharp scales. Lifting her head slowly, Machell prepared to take off.

"Hold on tight!" shouted Lilly using only her own voice.

Sorey grasped some of Machell's tendrils, being careful not to tear any out. Mikleo wrapped his arms around Sorey's waist. Machell snorted and then bounded towards the canyon. After a few leaps, she sprang into the air, four powerful wings beating in time to lift her body high above the cliff face. The climb was exhilarating, cold air blew in torrents past his face while the ground quickly shrank beneath them. Machell turned back towards the mountain and the boys could see a fantastic view of the keep.

The cabins looked like doll houses, the people no bigger than children's toys. As they flew higher, the people disappeared, and the houses looked like discolored boxes on the mountainside. Machell flew over the top of the mountain where the keep was built, flying higher and higher until she was level with the clouds. Mikleo reached a tentative hand out to the white mist, the other hand clutching Sorey for dear life. To the seraph's surprise, the clouds were made of tiny droplets of water, which clung to his skin delicately.

Sorey was amazed at how it felt to fly. He felt so free, way above the ground. There was nothing he couldn't do, now that he had the power to be so high up. He lifted his arms away from their grasp on Machell's tendrils and shouted. Sorey howled into the wind, releasing his emotions in a burst of sound. Mikleo cursed and clung to Sorey tighter.

"Keep holding on you dummy!" he shouted into Sorey's ear.

Sorey laughed boldly, returning his hands their resting place.

Machell took the boys over the mountains towards a beautiful meadow. Sorey marveled at how the mountains seemed to grow smaller, ice capped peaks eventually fading into rolling hills. Every so often he would spot a small settlement nestled into a valley between the mountains. The little bits of civilization seemed so inconsequential when compared to the awesomeness of flying on the back of a dragon. Sorey had never felt so empowered, even when coursing with the amazing abilities of his Lord and Sub Lords as the Shepherd.

Finally, Machell began to descend. She started out in slow circles, spiraling downward over an empty field. The descent felt gentle, nothing compared to how Sorey remembered the dragons landing after the strike the other day. Machell must have been trying to be kind to the new riders. She kept up her slow descent until about ten meters above the ground. There was a deep rumble in her throat, as if in warning, and then she dropped to the ground.

Sorey felt his stomach drop and his groin lurch. Mikleo let out a yelp. The weightlessness lasted only for a spell, before they lurched to a stop with Machell's feet hitting the ground. She slowly lowered her head until her chin rested in the grass. Sorey and Mikleo slid off, legs trembling with adrenaline. Sorey felt exhilarated, thrilled to have had such a breathtaking experience. Mikleo looked to be in awe.

"That was amazing," the seraph said. "I had no idea flying could be so fulfilling."

"But you've flown before," Sorey pointed out.

"I don't remember that very well," Mikleo admitted. "I wasn't exactly in my right mind."

"True enough."

Machell had transformed back into her seraph form. "Well! Did you like it! Wasn't it incredible!" she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah, it was. Thank you so much Machell," Sorey said.

"Yes, thank you. I'm really glad we did this," Mikleo added.

Machell blushed lightly, digging a toe into the grass. "Sorry we had to stop here, but there's a lovely lake nearby and I wanted to show you."

"That's fine," Sorey said. "I'd be happy to see the lake with you."

Machell grinned and ran off across the hill. Sorey and Mikleo followed after at a slower jog, enjoying the warm sunlight on their skin. The grass was lush under their feet, and smelled sweet in the humid air. Machell's lake was just on the other side of the hill. It was small compared to Ladylake, more the size of a pond. Small, gray fish darted just below the surface of cool, crystal water. The moment she had reached the water, Machell had sprung into the deepest part. She resurfaced and shook water out of her eyes.

"Burr, it's cold!" she laughed.

Sorey began to take off his vest, pausing when he saw Mikleo's withdrawn face. "Don't you want to go swimming?" asked Sorey, knowing his friend's love of water.

"No thanks. I don't know if I can keep myself from transforming," Mikleo replied, sitting down on the shore.

Sorey stopped stripping and sat down next to his seraph. "Then I won't either."

"You don't have to. I mean, you can enjoy the lake without me, it's ok," Mikleo stuttered awkwardly.

"I don't mind sitting here with you," Sorey said. "Next time we can go swimming together."

Mikleo blushed, turning away from Sorey. He didn't want the other to know how much those words affected him. Mikleo was still embarrassed by his newly developed wariness of water. He didn't want to lose control, but at the same time he was regaining his confidence with his element. The last time he had transformed he remembered much more of the event, and he had managed to revert back to his seraph form at will. Mikleo felt hopeful that he would be able to control his dragon form one day soon.

As if reading his mind, Sorey asked, "When do you think you will be able to enter the water again?"

"Without transforming against my will? I'm not sure…" Mikleo trailed off. "But I am getting stronger. I was able to cast a simple seraphic arte the other day without any side effects."

"That's fantastic Mikleo!" Sorey praised in his genuine, pure hearted way.

Mikleo looked out over the water, feeling proud of himself. Sorey was his best friend, and always had been able to boost his ego. They competed a lot, but Sorey always recognized Mikleo's achievements. Something about the way Sorey seemed so honest about his complements made them seem that much more valuable.

Watching Machell paddle around the pond, Mikleo felt the jealousy that was nagging at the back of his mind all day come to the surface. If she could take his Lord out for a flight, than Mikleo could too. He was, after all, a perfectly capable dragon. With his size and strength, he could probably beat Machell in a flying race any day.

"What would you say if I offered to take you flying?" Mikleo asked, not hypothetically.

"Do you mean right now?" Sorey asked back, brow furrowed. He thought riding an unbonded dragon was dangerous.

"I was much more stable last time I transformed. I even remember recognizing you," Mikleo stated.

"Are you sure? You don't need to push yourself?"

"It's fine," Mikleo dismissed, standing up. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Alright!" Sorey said excitedly.

Mikleo approached the lake, prodding the surface with his toes to test the temperature. The water was cold, but not too cold. Jumping in, the seraph submerged himself in the refreshing depths. For a moment, only bubbles disturbed the surface of the water. Then, Mikleo's dragon form burst from the lake. He towered over Sorey, dripping wet and blocking out the sun. Mikleo was an imposing sight.

Time felt like it moved in slow motion for Sorey. He had locked eyes with Mikleo, amethyst eyes with slitted pupils stared unblinkingly back at him. There was no kindness in them, nothing that reminded Sorey of his dear friend. Only twisted rage and pure power swam in the dragon's eyes. Sorey began to regret agreeing to Mikleo's crazy idea. Mikleo had just sounded so confident, and Sorey had to admit he was also longing to be in the sky with only his best friend.

After a long moment of staring, Mikleo took a deep breath. Sorey immediately recognized that Mikleo was preparing to blast him with his elemental breath, and panicked. He looked around for something to hide under. There was no way he could outrun Mikleo. To his despair, there was nothing but open grassland as far as the eye could see. Sorey was about to be killed by his best friend's insanity, and his own stupidity.

Suddenly, something large crashed into Mikleo's side. The gust of frost that Mikleo had been preparing instead shot into the air as he was toppled into the lake. Machell had transformed herself, and was protecting Sorey from Mikleo's attacks by provoking him. Only now could Sorey truly appreciate how much smaller Machell was to other dragons. She barely came up to Mikleo's chest, but was still brave enough to challenge the larger dragon. Sorey would have to thank her properly when they made it back to the keep.

Half frozen in terror, half in awe, Sorey watched the two dragons begin to battle. Unlike the day Elise had goaded Mikleo into chasing her into the void, Machell had nothing to distract Mikleo with. His gigantic talons ripped into her hide, scouring deep gashes down her over her shoulder. Machell tumbled in the air, rolling off of Mikleo's side and twirling through the sky. He chased after her, breathing in deeply to shoot another frost breath at his opponent. Machell almost dodged the attack, the tip of one of her wings freezing solid.

She screamed, sounding like a dying crow, and reeled around in mid air. Using her superior agility, Machell dodged around Mikleo's outstretched talons and latched herself onto his face. She bit viciously at his head, wings dragging the apandage back and forth. With a powerful shake, Mikleo managed to dislodge his attacker, but remained dazed. Machell took advantage of Mikleo's distracted state and flew safely away. Once Mikleo had reoriented, he followed the smaller dragon, roaring a deep, earth shaking roar.

Sorey remained where he was, watching the two dragons grow smaller as they flew into the distance, until a dark shadow fell over him. Jumping with surprise, he looked up to see two more blue dragons and Elise circling above his head. Elise and the blue-gray dragon landed next to Sorey and Sorey discovered Alistar was sitting astride his black dragon.

"Which way did they go?" Alistar shouted to Sorey, Elise also echoing in his voice.

Sorey pointed at the tiny dragons in the distance.

The largest blue dragon shot off towards the mark, not waiting for the others to follow.

"Lilly told us what happened," Alistar and Elise explained. "Hop on Artemis and he will take you back to the keep."

"What about Mikleo?" Sorey asked.

"We will deal with him."

Sorey had no choice but to trust them as they took off, following behind the largest blue dragon. The blue-gray dragon, Artemis, lowered his head to the ground. This dragon looked old compared to the other dragons Sorey had seen. His scales looked dull, as if they were covered with a cloudy mist. The fins on his body were stretched thin, and some had holes torn into the webbing. His tendrils were long and thin, resembling something closer to hair. Two long whiskers draped down his snout and trailed on the ground.

Sorey climbed carefully onto Artemis' neck, trying to be careful with the old dragon. A coughing whine escaped the dragon's throat sounding suspiciously like a chuckle. As carefully as Sorey had mounted, Artemis lifted his head and took off towards the keep. He flew slow, and kept close to the ground. This flight was not as thrilling as the one he had with Machell. Sorey couldn't keep his mind from worrying about Mikleo.

To his surprise, Mikleo and the others beat him and Artemis to the keep. Mikleo was pinned down in the clearing, the largest blue dragon holding Mikleo's head and shoulders into the ground. Elise was clinging to his tail, preventing it from thrashing around and destroying the buildings. Mikleo's sides were heaving with his efforts to fight against the other two dragons, who didn't seem to be having any trouble holding him still. Out of the corner of his eye, Sorey saw Machell, beaten and bloodied, being carried off to the Longhouse by Lilly.

With a shudder, Mikleo transformed back into his seraph form, Elise and the largest dragon, who turned out to be Terry, following suit. Terry kept a knee pressed into Mikleo's back, one hand twisting into Mikleo's long hair and holding his head down. They were furious.

Sorey hopped off Artemis and approached the group, but Elise's yelling could be heard across the clearing.

"That's why you turned yourself into a dragon?!" Elise was shouting. "You were jealous?!"

"You are an idiot Mikleo," Terry scolded.

"You know better," Elise continued. "You let draconic instincts run away with your reasoning and pulled a really stupid stunt."

"You could have killed Sorey and Alistar."

What happened to Alistar? Sorey wondered.

"I don't think you appreciate a Lord's role here in the clan, Mikleo. You treat their lives too lightly. I'm grounding you. You are not to see nor speak to Sorey for a fortnight," Elise decided.

"You can't do that," Mikleo's voice wavered.

"I can and I have. You will remain in my cabin, under my watch, and think about what you have done."

Terry yanked Mikleo to his feet by his hair and led him across the clearing to Elise and Alistar's cabin. Sorey felt a warm hand on his arm, and looked around to see Artemis smiling kindly. The old seraph led Sorey to the Longhouse, pity in his eyes. When they entered they found Machell lying on one of the benches, resting on Lilly's cloak. Alistar was sitting nearby, pressing a grape gel to a particularly vicious bite mark in his arm.

"Welcome back Sorey," Alistar said, tears of pain flowing down his face even though his voice remained steady. "Did you hear what Elise said?"

"It was hard to miss. What happened to you?" Sorey asked.

"Mikleo grabbed me and pulled me off of Elise. Don't worry, I'll be fine, assuming I can get the venom out."

Sorey paled. Did Mikleo use his venom on Alistar?

"I'm sorry about keeping you from Mikleo," Alistar apologized, continuing to talk while doctoring his arm. "It seems like we are punishing you too, but that's not the intention."

"It's better that way," Lilly said, speaking from where she was tending to Machell.

"Lilly-" Alistar began.

"No Alistar, Sorey has a part to play in what happened too. I'm sure they discussed Mikleo transforming before he jumped into the lake." Lilly turned to Sorey, fixing him with a hard stare. "You need to learn when your dragon wants something because it is reasonable, or because his draconic instincts are overriding his reasoning. And I don't mean just when he is in his dragon form."

Sorey felt ashamed. He should have known better than to let Mikleo transform unbonded. Mikleo himself told Sorey how dangerous that was. He looked down and nodded, no longer able to meet Lilly's eyes.

"How could he have known," Alistar defended gently. "He's an outsider Lilly."

"He has to learn sometime Alistar. Might as well take advantage of the situation." Lilly turned back to Machell, not saying another word to the others.

"How about you get some rest Sorey," Alistar suggested. "You must be exhausted after your first flight."

"I am," Sorey said, surprised to find it true. "Have a good night Alistar."

"Good night Sorey."

Sorey made his way slowly over towards Mikleo's cabin. The sun was already setting, casting long shadows over the ground. Today had been a rocky ride of emotions that had left Sorey drained of energy. When he entered the cabin he thought the room seemed darker than usual. When he undressed for bed he felt a strange chill wash over him, as if tonight were colder than any other night. When he got into bed he thought that it felt too big for just one person. Closing his eyes, he fell into an unrestful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next fortnight passed painstakingly slowly for both Mikleo and Sorey. They did their best to distract themselves, but conversation and menial labor could only distract them so long. Sorey didn't sleep well, having grown accustomed to another body in his bed. The emptiness kept him awake, reminding him starkly of his best friend's absence.

When they finally met again, it was another mild, sunny day. Sorey was sitting by the fire pit, watching a group of wind seraphim sun themselves by the cliff side. They basked in the glory of their nakedness and the warm sunlight, varying shades of green and dirty blond hair waving in the wind that blew over the rocks. Sorey noticed Mikleo's approach right away, seeing the swaying of Elise's purple curtain out of the corner of his eye. Mikleo's stride was confidant and steady, everything Sorey had come to expect from his best friend.

"I'm sorry," Mikleo said, coming to stand right next to Sorey. "It was a stupid idea and I'm sorry." Mikleo didn't sound meek or embarrassed. His voice was strong, as if he were making a comment on the weather and not apologizing for nearly killing Sorey.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Sorey said, Mikleo's confidence rubbing off on him. "I should have known better too. We were both in the wrong."

Mikleo smiled, and sat down next to Sorey. They watched the wind seraphim, who had begun competing to see who could make the strongest dust mote without blowing themselves off the cliff.

"I missed you," Sorey admitted.

Mikleo fixed him with an unwavering stare.

"It's funny. I can sleep for 700 years and not miss a thing, but being without you for four days and I felt lonely." He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

"You better have. I'm your dragon after all."

Sorey paused. That didn't sound like Mikleo. His skeptical friend should be teasing him for his lack of endurance, not sounding quite so self righteous. Studying Mikleo's face, Sorey noticed that his irises were not perfectly round, but seemed to be shifting into a slitted form. Maybe this is what Lilly had meant when she said his draconic instincts were impeding his rationality. Sorey was reminded of the other day, when Mikleo decided to try and take Sorey flying by himself. Maybe if Sorey had been paying more attention he would have noticed the same shift in character he was seeing now. Sorey decided to appeal to the dragon in Mikleo.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'm going to be your Lord. A few days apart isn't going to change that."

Mikleo's eyes stopped changing, and a blush rose to his cheeks. "You don't have to say it like that," he muttered, dropping his gaze to his hands.

Sorey caught himself thinking that Mikleo was acting cute, and blushed in embarrassment himself. Since when did he start thinking of his best friend like that. "Let's do something, together," Sorey suggested. "Something that only we can do."

"That sounds… nice…"

"You decide on what to do, and let me know!" Sorey said brightly, still appealing to the dragon side of Mikleo.

"Alright," Mikleo agreed. Then, with his confidence returning, he said, "But first, let's get some breakfast. I haven't had anything to eat yet."

"Ok," Sorey agreed.

The two of them set off for the Longhouse, chuckling as one of the wind seraphim finally lost their footing and tumbled off the side of the canyon, forced to transform into a dragon to save himself.

* * *

Mikleo's decision came that evening. Sorey had tiered himself out helping organizing the wood pile and was already in bed. He was stripped down to his boxers, laying on the wall side of the bed. The blankets were pushed aside, waiting for Mikleo to climb underneath. Hot air clung to Sorey's skin uncomfortably, and he wasn't sure he wanted to pull the covers up at all tonight. Sorey was pulled from his musings when Mikleo settled down on the bed, still wearing Sorey's cloak.

"I've thought of something to do together," Mikleo said, a cold hand running up Sorey's thigh.

Sorey looked at Mikleo confused until this slender fingers ghosted over his groin. He flinched, not quite expecting Mikleo to touch him there. Mikleo's eyes were snake like slits, and Sorey began to think that their separation was affecting his seraph more than he was letting on.

"Something only I can do to you," Mikleo whispered, smiling. "Is that clear?"

Sorey thought that Mikleo's teeth looked more like the sharp fangs of a dragon instead of the flat teeth of a seraph. Reaching a hand up to caress his cheek, Sorey did his best to calm whatever was triggering Mikleo's dragon aspects. "Only you, I promise."

Mikleo nuzzled lightly into Sorey's hand, his fingers pressing harder into Sorey's groin. The seraph smiled as Sorey flinched again, biting his lower lip.

"Be gentle?" Sorey whispered, not meeting Mikleo's eyes.

"Of course," Mikleo said, removing Sorey's boxers.

Sorey suddenly felt cold, despite the warm weather. Being exposed like this made body tingle with something akin to embarrassment, but felt much more carnal than that. Sorey thought it was a little ironic that Mikleo could comfortably walk around completely bare in front of the entire clan, while Sorey devolved into a nervous mess being naked in front of one person. However, he wasn't about to let his discomfort show. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he watched Mikleo carefully.

Mikleo was watching Sorey thought half lidded eyes. Sorey didn't know it, but he was blushing, and the blush extended all the way down to his shoulders. The seraph could see right through the facade of confidence Sorey was putting up. Mikleo loved how strongly Sorey reacted to him, and only him. Knowing he had so much power over his Lord was quite the power trip. Mikleo grasped Sorey's dick confidently, watching how Sorey's eyes became fixated on his fist.

Mikleo rubbed Sorey until he felt Sorey harden completely under his attention. Sorey was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, his shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping himself propped up. Mikleo was a quick study, finding the places on Sorey's penis that were the most receptive to stimulus. The small glands just under the head seemed to be Sorey's favorite spot, the human having let out a strangled gasp when he was caressed there. Mikleo would have been happy to keep playing with Sorey until he collapsed from the pleasure, but Sorey's dick was not his objective this evening.

"I want to try something," Mikleo said decisively, catching Sorey's attention.

Mikleo gently released Sorey, running his fingers down Sorey's balls and between his legs. Sorey flinched again, knees coming up protectively.

"I don't know," Sorey said uncertainty, his previous nervousness that had evaporated with Mikleo's ministrations now returning in full force.

"If you don't like it, I'll stop," Mikleo promised.

Sorey nodded, eyes widening as Mikleo pressed one, slender finger against the ring of muscle between Sorey's butt cheeks. The seraph was slow, easing a pointer finger past the gripping muscle tenderly. Sorey was surprised that it didn't hurt. Things had only ever come out of there, nothing had ever gone in, but it felt almost the same. Mikleo paused, waiting for something. Sorey felt awkward, Mikleo's finger half in him, half out of him. The sensation was pleasant, but weird all the same.

Mikleo moved his finger again, pressing a little deeper. "Now I just have to find it," he muttered to himself.

Sorey couldn't watch the unwavering concentration on Mikleo's face. He felt like an ancient artifact being scrutinized by the seraph, not a human being. Sorey lay back, draping an arm over his eyes. The darkness held little comfort. All Sorey could focus on now was the weird feeling in his butt. Mikleo's finger wriggled in Sorey's anus, searching out that spot Alistar had mentioned. It took time, Mikleo's finger pressing further in or withdrawing, searching everywhere for that one spot. As Mikleo was pressing into the anal wall in the direction of Sorey's peins, it suddenly felt different. Sorey hummed.

"I think this is it," Mikleo said, massaging the location tenderly.

Sorey didn't know what to think. It felt good, certainly, but it was a very strange good. The sensation was exactly the same as when Mikleo was stroking his peins, but his peins wasn't being touched. Sorey felt like something was missing, maybe the sensation of his dick being touched. It was... distracting? Misplaced? Wrong? Sorey didn't know what to think. Regardless, tension was building in Sorey's groin, coils of hot pleasure clenching the muscles in his abdomen. His elbow pressed harder into his eyes, not sure if he was entirely comfortable with what was happening to him.

Mikleo paused again, and Sorey felt another finger slide into his anus. The stretching was present in a different way. Again, Sorey thought it was distracting. There were two different, pleasurable sensations happening at the same time, in the same location, but they were not adding to each other. Sorey couldn't focus on one or the other long enough to feel satisfied with either one. Mikleo didn't pause long after adding a second finger, and was soon back to massaging that spot.

Sorey moaned, a wave of embarrassment washing over him at the strange noise that escaped him. The added pressure of a second finger spiked the pleasure emanating from Sorey's prostate. With two fingers, Mikleo could roll the spot around more freely. The added stimulus quickly overpowered the stretching feeling of his anus. Sorey tensed, the building feeling doubling.

Sorey was becoming overwhelmed. There was something wrong, or missing. He couldn't be feeling this way just from someone sticking a finger in his butt, could he? Mikleo should be touching his penis, that's how Sorey usually got this feeling. This was so new and strange and not quite right. Sorey removed his arm from his face, grasping hard into the sheets. He was beginning to panic.

"Mikleo, wait," he gasped out, surprised to find his voice so uncooperative.

"Why? You feel good, don't you?" Mikleo asked, not ceasing in the slightest.

Something was coming, hard and fast. The tense, warm pressure was something Sorey had only felt once before, that time also by Mikleo's hand. He wasn't ready, he didn't want to orgasm right now with the new, weird, possibly good feelings that were coursing through his veins like fire. Tears came to his eyes, and Sorey reached out to stop Mikleo, but it was too late.

A sound tore from Sorey's throat that he didn't have a name for, white ejaculate shooting from the end of his untouched penis. Sorey's hips rolled instinctively, his whole body shuddering. His skin felt ultra sensitive, just the pressure of the mattress on his back was almost painful. His legs shook, and his arm trembled as he reached out and grabbed Mikleo's wrist. Sorey flinched as he yanked Mikleo's fingers from him, the sensation uncomfortable.

"I told you to wait," Sorey panted, tears falling freely down his face. The tensing pleasure in his abdomen had turned to snakes, coiling in his gut.

"But you were enjoying yourself," Mikleo responded hesitantly, not sure why Sorey was gripping his wrist so tightly.

"I was scared," Sorey stated, anger rising in his voice.

"What's so scary about feeling good?" asked Mikleo; sounding, for all the world, like he was having an academic debate.

Sorey threw Mikleo's wrist at him, anger adding to his tremble. "You wouldn't understand," he bit out, rolling away from Mikleo and curling up on his side. Sorey felt so vulnerable. He had just done something so new, so overwhelming, and Mikleo was treating it like a science experiment. He was crying, but he didn't care. As his oversensitive skin reminded him, he had just done much more embarrassing things in front of Mikleo than cry. At the same time, he did care. He didn't want to feel Mikleo watching him anymore.

Mikleo hovered over Sorey, concerned and confused by Sorey's reaction.

"Go away," Sorey mumbled, crossing his arms and pulling his knees to his chest.

Mikleo wanted to say something, but there didn't seem to be words for a situation like this. Cautiously, he got off the bed and left, walking out into the darkening clearing. The seraph was at a loss for what to do. He thought he had been giving Sorey a special kind of pleasure. To have been rejected on a visceral level left Mikleo confused. And Sorey had said he was scared. What was so scary? He had been safe, in bed with his best friend. Was having a powerful dragon at his side not security enough?

Mikleo spotted Elise across the clearing. She was leaning on the railing that surrounded the poarch of her cabin. Over the last fortnight the two had spent a lot of time talking together. Elise's anger had lasted only a short while after she had explained to Mikleo the dangers of what he had done. After that the two had spent countless hours in discussion about dragons and Lords. It had been her who had suggested he spend some more intimate time with Sorey. She had suggested that might make him feel closer to his Lord. It might even put Sorey in less danger the next time Mikleo transformed.

Mikleo crossed the clearing, looking up at his mentor as she stood above him on the porch.

"Is something wrong Mikleo?" she asked, shifting her gaze from the stars above.

"I think I made a mistake," Mikleo admitted, still not clear on what he screwed up on.

"Want to talk about it?" Elise offered, scooting over to provide Mikleo space to stand next to her.

Mikleo climbed the steps to the porch, leaning against the rail and also looking at the stars. "I tried some sexual things with Sorey. He seemed to be enjoying himself… but after… he got really angry. Said he was scared."

Silence fell between them as Elise pondered how best to help Mikleo. They gazed at the stars for a while, watching them glow brighter as the night grew darker.

"Let me give you some perspective," Elise finally decided to say. "You know about love, right? Kinship between two souls that fulfills our desires to connect to others."

Mikleo nodded, hanging off her every word.

"For humans, those feelings and sex are one and the same. Sex is not just a thing to be done, but a way to communicate that deep connection. If you remove the emotional bonding from the sex, you are left with good feelings. Which can be fine, but also impersonal. For someone who is new to those strong feelings, it may have been a little intimidating."

Mikleo thought back on the couples he had grown up with in Elysia. He remembered they were always touching and snuggling with each other. Sorey and Mikleo would tease their old friend Mason ruthlessly for the sweet nothings he would whisper to his lover. The couples he had met on his journey when Sorey was the Shepherd were much the same.

He hadn't provided Sorey with any of that. There were no gentle touches or tender words passed between the two. Mikleo hadn't held Sorey or told him how amazing he looked, spread out and taking Mikleo's fingers like a champion. He had been silent, keeping his thoughts to himself. There had been a distance between their bodies that was cold and unfriendly. Mikleo hadn't 'loved' Sorey, he had 'fucked' Sorey, and Mikleo was worldly enough to know the difference.

Mikleo sighed, finally understanding. "I really messed up, didn't I?"

"It's nothing that can't be fixed. You are best friends, and everyone makes mistakes. Sorey will understand that, just give him some time," Elise encouraged.

Mikleo didn't say anything in response, just brooded on his failure. How could he have been so cruel to his best friend. Sorey was the most important person in the world to Mikleo, not just because Sorey was going to become his Lord. They were confidants and rivals, always looking out for each other. Sorey deserved all the sweet nothings and tender touches in the world. Not providing affection like he was sopposed to was a stupid oversight that Mikleo could have avoided. He had seen dragons and Lords having sex enough times around the keep to have known better.

"Would you like to spend the night on my couch?" Elise offered after a long moment, watching Mikleo's expression change from disappointment to frustration..

"No thanks. I don't want to be away from Sorey right now. I think that might make it worse."

Elise nodded, and went back to watching the stars. Mikleo left the porch, returning to his own cabin with the intention of apologizing to Sorey. However, when he returned, Sorey was asleep. The boy had wrapped the blanket around himself, cocooning himself in a protective barrier of warmth. Mikleo felt overwhelmingly guilty, but there was nothing to be done about that tonight. Gently, Mikleo climbed into bed and wrapped himself around Sorey, not disturbing the cocoon. The night was warm enough, Mikleo could do without the blankets.

* * *

The next morning, Sorey woke up drenched in sweat. When he tried to wriggle free from the confines of the blankets, he found something heavy obstructing his movement. After struggling for a moment, he finally emerged far enough to see that Mikleo had draped his arm over Sorey during the night. As Sorey steadily grew more awake, he began to remember the events from the night before.

Soret had been wracked with guilt ever since he had exiled Mikleo from the cabin. It wasn't Mikleo's fault that Sorey had been scared. He shouldn't have to be kicked out of his own cabin. Sorey shouldn't even have been scared in the first place. His confidence had taken a huge blow with all the unfamiliar sensations and his conscience was beating him up for it.

He reached out and ran his fingers through Mikleo's long hair. The seraph really did have amazing hair, beautifully white and soft. The gentle caresses began to rouse Mikleo. Amethyst eyes blinked lazily in the morning light, but something woke the seraph up fast.

"Sorey-"

Sorey stopped Mikleo with a finger to his lips. He frowned and shook his head. Sorey was hungry, and tired and feeling so very, very guilty. "I'm sorry," he choked out. Curses, was he crying again?

Mikleo shoved Sorey's finger aside. Sitting up quickly, Mikleo wrapped his arms around Sorey's shoulders. "No, Sorey, I'm sorry. There are a million things I could have done to make that experience better for you and I didn't. Can you forgive me?"

Sorey buried his face in Mikleo's neck. He inhaled his best friend's scent and felt oddly reassured. "Of course I can," he mumbled, voice muffled. "But it's not all your fault. I could have been more clear about how I was feeling. I'm sorry too."

"I guess we both messed up didn't we," Mikleo murmured, rubbing small circles into Sorey's broad back. "Next time I promise I will do better."

Sorey set his jaw and pulled away, looking Mikleo in the eye. "I will too." There was a familiar stubborn, determination in his face. "I'll prove it to you, we can try right now."

Mikleo blushed and stopped Sorey's hands from pulling away the blankets. He was flattered by Sorey's enthusiasm, but he wasn't ready to try again just yet. "We don't have to rush anything," Mikleo said. "How about we go get breakfast, and if you are still feeling up to it tonight we can try again, then."

Sorey nodded, his hunger much more noticeable now that he was thinking about it. The two dressed quickly and walked over to the Longhouse. Sorey noticed a little soreness while walking and Mikleo urged him to go sit down first. The water seraph gathered a plate of eggs and meat for Sorey. He was pleased to find fresh prickleboar meat, something of a comfort food. Grabbing a scone for himself, Mikleo made his way over to his friend.

Sorey was staring down the long table at Machell and Lilly. The little seraph was straddling her Lord's lap, contentedly making out with her human. Mikleo thought he saw a hint of wistfulness in Sorey's gaze, and was hit by another pang of guilt. Leaning down, Mikleo placed Sorey's breakfast down and snuck a quick kiss to Sorey's cheek. He blushed scarlet, turning wide eyes to Mikleo.

"That… um…" Sorey said, flustered.

"They had fresh prickelboar meat," Mikleo told him, unable to conceal the pleased smile that spread across his face at Sorey's adorable reaction.

"Thanks…" Sorey mumbled, touching his cheek.

Mikleo wasn't sure if Sorey was thanking him for breakfast or the kiss, but he'd take it either way. Nibbling on his scone, Mikleo contemplated Lilly and Machell himself. "They remind me of Natalie and Mason," he commented.

"Yeah," agreed Sorey. "Those two could hardly keep their hands off of each other."

"Do you remember what they told us when we asked them what they were doing?"

"Yes. It was a secret between lovers," Sorey laughed, remembering Natalie's bright red face and Mason's severe stuttering.

Mikleo thought for a moment, licking some crumbs off his finger tips. "Sorey… the things we have been doing with each other… Do you think that makes us lovers?"

Sorey blushed again, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, half eaten eggs now forgotten. "I think it does."

"How do you feel about that?" Mikelo asked, turning his amethyst gaze to Sorey.

"It feels…" Sorey paused to search for the right words. "Normal? No, that's not quite right. Natural? It seems like we were always going to end up this way. The whole dragon and bonding ritual thing was just a catalyst for the inevitable."

Mikleo looked surprised. "Have you always thought of me this way?"

"Not always… at least I don't think so. When we left Elysia the first time I noticed that our connection was a bit stronger than most people's friendship. It made me think we were going to be more than just best friends one day."

"That… makes me feel really special… Thanks Sorey." Mikleo smiled, pointed fangs visible amongst the pearl white teeth.

Sorey suddenly realized how appealing that would sound to the dragon in Mikleo. He backpedaled a little hoping to curb some of Mikleo's draconic instincts. "How do you feel about it?"

Mikleo took a bite of scone to give him time to consider his response. "I wouldn't want to be doing these things with anyone else. Not that I dislike what we are doing. On the contrary, I have been enjoying myself. I'm just glad it's you who is becoming my Lord."

Sorey looked happy and relieved, making Mikleo smile fondly. At that moment, Elise approached the two.

"Good morning," Elise addressed them. "Mikleo, I have something for you. I meant to give this to you the other night." She handed Mikleo a small, glass bottle filled with tea leaves.

"Oh, the ceremonial tea," Mikleo said, accepting the bottle.

"Yes, you seemed interested in trying it. One spoonful in a mug of hot water. You can let it steep for as long as you like, but the longer it sits the more powerful the effects will be. That should be enough for two uses."

"Thanks," said Mikleo, searching Sorey's cloak for a pocket. Not finding one, he looked to Sorey expectantly.

"I'll carry it for you," Sorey offered, taking the small bottle from Mikleo.

Elise waved her goodbye at the pair, saying "If you have any problems, let me know."

Mikleo finished off his scone, eyeing Sorey's not empty plate. "Are you sure you are feeling alright? You haven't finished your food."

"I'm just fine mom," Sorey said, resuming eating.

Mikleo pouted at the gibe.

Sorey finished quickly, and the two headed outside. Once they appeared in the clearing, Todd and Alistar invited Sorey to join them at the hot springs, and Sorey accepted. He ran to the cabin to grab a towel, and then joined the other two at the woven gate. When he arrived, Terry was with them.

"Are you all ready to leave?" the gruff seraph asked once Sorey had joined them.

Alistar nodded and Terry did the most baffling thing. He spat on the woven gate. Just as Sorey was trying to puzzle out why Terry would spit at the door, the weaves began to untangle themselves. Still amazed at the magical gates, Sorey watched the archway form out of the once impenetrable door. He had seen this happen a few times now, each time the result of a Lord pressing an old cloth to the weaves. Now the door was moving without the cloth, and Sorey felt even more lost as to why this was happening.

Terry turned and left while Alistar and Todd strode through the door like this was nothing out of the ordinary. Alistar chuckled at the stunned expression on Sorey's face.

"Have you figured it out yet?" he asked as Sorey caught up with them.

"No. How does the gate work?" Sorey conceded.

"It responds to dragon venom," Alistar answered, pulling out a familiar, stained cloth. "That's how we keep people who aren't dragonlords out."

"Works pretty well too," added Todd. "If you aren't comfortable around dragons, there's no way you would get your hands on any venom."

"But how does the gate know to respond to the venom?" Sorey asked.

"That, you'd have to ask Terry. It has something to do with the seraphic artes used to build the gate," Alistar said.

"I see," said Sorey, pleased that a piece of the puzzle had been revealed.

The three men proceeded towards the hot springs, casual conversation drifting on the warm summer air. They ended up spending most of the day outside of the keep. They were easily distracted by a herd of prickelboar on their way to the hot springs. After a few failed attempts to catch one, they gave up and left the herd alone, now covered in dust and brambles. The springs were refreshing, and the three spent hours relaxing in the warm water. By the time they were done it was considerably cooler outside.

* * *

Sorey didn't see Mikleo when he returned to the keep, and ended up having dinner alone. The sky was dark when he finished, and the bonfire was glowing brightly in the clearing. There were several seraphim and humans gathered around the fire, sharing stories with each other. Mikleo was among them, sipping on a hot mug of tea. When Sorey approached, Mikleo wrapped an arm around his waist, laying his head on Sorey's shoulder.

"Hi," Sorey said, not expecting the embrace. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Mikleo said passively, taking another sip.

"Is that…" Sorey whispered, "what I think it is?"

"If you think it's the ceremonial tea, then yes. It is what you think it is."

"You didn't have to do that." Sorey shifted uncomfortably.

"I wanted to," Mikleo rebuked. "Besides, you were the one who said I didn't understand. This should help."

"Are you sure though, you don't know what it's like to… be that way."

"Of course I'm sure. Besides, you'll be there to help me." Mikleo sounded calm and confident.

Sorey blused vividly, not even the low firelight could hide his flush. He placed a warm hand on Mikleo's back, rubbing circles into the cloak that covered him. Mikleo hummed and leaned into the touch. Sorey was really tempted to see if Mikleo had an erection already, but figured checking would be rude somehow. The seraph seemed much more cuddly than usual, and Sorey found that comforting.

Sorey leaned over and whispered in Mikleo's ear, "We can go back to the cabin whenever you are ready."

Mikleo hummed noncommittally, glancing down at his half finished tea. "I think I want to finish this first."

"Alright."

Sorey did his best to tune into the conversation around the fire, but found his concentration fleeting. He kept thinking about his seraph, and the burning arousal slowly building in his friend. Mikleo didn't help any. He kept fidgeting and pressing closer to Sorey, searching out the familiar contact. To Sorey's surprise, just the thought of what was happening to Mikleo was beginning to turn him on.

Mikleo didn't waste any time finishing his tea. They only sat by the fire a few more minutes before the seraph stood and stretched. Leading Sorey by the hand, Mikleo took his leave of the fireside gathering and headed to their cabin. The moment the curtain swung shut behind them, Mikleo discarded Sorey's cloak. Sorey was flustered and excited to see Mikleo sporting a healthy erection.

"It seems my body is responding as expected," Mikleo commented, peering down at his own predicament. "However, I must admit I'm at a bit of a loss for what to do now." He sat down on the bed, legs spread apart while examining his erect penis.

"How are you feeling?" Sorey asked, edging closer to Mikleo.

"Hot…" Mikleo said after some consideration. "Sensitive…"

Sorey reached a hand out and brushed his fingers against Mikleo's cheek. The seraph nuzzled against his fingers, dilated eyes looking up into emerald green. Sorey thought he could gaze into those eyes for hours and never have his fill of the sight. They were easier to become lost in than the stars in the sky. Eyes darkened by low lighting and arousal, rimmed by vivid amethyst, confident and clear. Sorey licked his lips, considering pressing his mouth to Mikleo's like he had seen Machell and Lilly do this morning. Mikleo shuddered involuntarily, making Sorey's pants tighten.

Sorey slowly leaned down, bringing their faces close to each other. Mikleo fidgeted, and brought a hand up to run his fingers through dark brown hair.

"Mikleo," Sorey whispered, breath ghosting over Mikleo's lips.

A second later they were kissing. Soft lips pressed hard to each other, desperate for contact while at the same time savoring every moment. They kissed like they had been kissing all their lives, mouths opening up and tongues dancing together. This was as natural to them as their secret handshake, familiar despite its novelty. They kissed like they had never kissed someone before, teeth clinking and tongues slipping past lips. The messy, uncoordinated and comfortable kiss made Sorey's knees week, forcing him to catch himself on the bed with his hands. He didn't even notice Mikleo running fingers through his hair until he felt himself being pulled away.

Sorey's hair was a mess. It was usually a mess, but right now it was messier than usual. Mikleo felt exhilarated, knowing that it had been his hands to put Sorey's hair in such disarray. The seraph was panting, not being able to breath while he had kissed his best friend -no- lover. He felt himself shaking with adrenaline, and noticed Sorey was unsteady as well.

"Take this off," Mikleo murmured, blushing at his own assertiveness and pulling at Sorey's vest.

Sorey nodded and took off his vest and shirt. He reached down to unfasten his pants, but paused.

"What's wrong?" Mikleo asked.

"It's just… with you watching me… I feel kinda weird," Sorey admitted, blushing scarlet.

"I've seen you naked before," Mikleo reminded him.

Sorey nodded, "You're right.

Sorey continued stripping, slowly guiding his pants down his toned legs. Mikleo watched him closely, noticing his body responding to Sorey's exposed skin. For the first time he began to understand the connection between vulnerability and intimacy. In a manner of moments Sorey would be naked, the entirety of his body revealed for Mikleo to appreciate alone. Not that he disliked the idea of showing off his human to the others in the clearing. He was simply coveting the idea that Sorey was his and his alone. The thought sent a strange tingling sensation pulsing across his skin.

Sorey paused again before removing his boxers. Blushing, he muttered, "I'm the same as you."

Before Mikleo could ask what he meant, Sorey revealed a firm erection. Dark pubic hair curled around a thick shaft and loose balls. Veins stuck out vividly against the pale skin, head just peeking out from the foreskin. Mikleo felt a little jealous, his own pubic hair was so light it made him look less mature. Pushing aside his envy, Mikleo gestured for Sorey to sit down. When he did, Mikleo gently pushed him to lie back against the pillows. Running his hand down Sorey's chest, passing over firm pectorals and several abdominal muscles, he felt Sorey's breath hitch.

"May I touch you?" Mikleo asked, wanting to increase his partner's arousal.

Sorey nodded, his eyes seeking out Mikleo's. "Yes."

Mikleo dragged his hand further down, toying lightly with the fuzzy hairs before running his fingers along Sorey's penis. He was surprised to find the digit several degrees warmer than Sorey's pelvis, and Mikleo touched his own groin to find that his was the same. Mikleo twitched at the unexpected sensation. Sure, he had touched his penis before, but had it ever felt so… overwhelming? The feeling was definitely good, but unfamiliar. Experimentally, he ran his hand up and down his shaft, much in the same way he had done for Sorey a few mornings ago. Tight warmth spread through Mikleo's groin, making him shiver with desire. Sorey was biting his lip and watching closely.

"May I… for you?" he asked tentatively.

Mikleo paused his ministrations and thought, one fist wrapped around his penis, the other still latched to Sorey's. He felt good, and was sure that Sorey could make him feel just as good, but he had another objective in mind. There was another sensation he wanted to feel tonight, and didn't want to waste his tea on getting jerked off, assuming that was how it worked.

"Not yet," Mikleo decided to say at last. "I want to try something first." He released himself and gently touched Sorey's anus. "I want to stick it in here."

"Oh," Sorey replied, not sure if he was disappointed in being unable to touch Mikleo, nervous about having something shoved up his butt, excited to be joined with Mikleo like that or all of the above. He swallowed and tried to form words, but couldn't think of anything to say.

Mikleo brought a finger to his mouth, gently sucking and coating his hand with saliva. Then he reached down and pressed gently to the ring of flesh surrounding Sorey's anus. Anticipation coursed through Sorey's mind. He knew how good that finger could make him feel. Tension was already building in his groin, and Sorey was holding his breath. When Mikleo tenderly pressed one slender finger into the opening, Sorey let out the breath with a gasp. The saliva had done a little to ease Mikleo's passage

Sorey felt the pleasant, stretching sensation at the same time he felt the confusing sensation of Mikleo's finger moving against the regular flow of things. Reflexively, Sorey tightened up.

"Relax," Mikleo whispered, taking the hand not half way up Sorey's ass and stroking Sorey's hair.

After a moment of coaxing, Sorey finally relaxed. With his muscles not clenched tight around Mikleo's fingers, the drag against his insides was actually enjoyable. Mikleo pressed in and out of Sorey a few times before adding a second finger. The stretching sensation was more dramatic, and Sorey had to concentrate on staying relaxed. It wasn't painful, and this time it wasn't scary. Knowing what to expect seemed to help Sorey. That and the warm hand brushing against his cheek and lips kept him comforted.

With two fingers inside, Mikleo had more options to play with. Gently, he searched around until he found that small lump that was Sorey's prostate. He took the small hum that escaped Sorey as proof of his discovery. Mikleo wanted to make Sorey feel good, but he didn't want Sorey to climax yet. Tenderly, teasingly, he massaged the spot inside Sorey. With his other hand Mikleo caressed Sorey's head, hoping to keep the other boy comfortable. Fingers dancing across Sorey's lips, Mikleo felt a surprised thrill run through him when Sorey took his thumb into his mouth.

Sorey's mouth was warm and wet. He seemed to be moving on instinct, twirling his tongue around Mikleo's thumb and sucking lightly on the tip. It gave his mouth something to do, and his mind something else to focus on other than the wonderful rubbing of his prostate. Pleasure had been building in his abdomen, making Sorey feel warm. However, Mikleo was moving his fingers at a consistent pace, not allowing the pleasure to build past a certain point. This frustrated Sorey slightly, and he rolled his hips.

"Mikleo," Sorey whined, having intended to sound more demanding.

To Mikleo, all of this was inexplicably arousing. His own penis was practically throbbing from lack of attention, and it took all of Mikleo's self control not to remove his hands and slam himself into Sorey. Deciding that now was the time, Mikleo tenderly withdrew his fingers. Sorey whined, reaching out to grab onto Mikleo. He didn't want Mikleo to stop, not when he was feeling this good.

"Hold on Sorey," Mikleo murmured, eyes focused on positioning himself. "It's time. Hang on to me."

Sorey nodded, biting his lip as he felt Mikleo's penis prod at his entrance. His nails dug into Mikleo's shoulders as a new wave of anticipation washed over the brunette. This was going to be something he had never done before with anyone, and he wasn't ready. No, he was ready. He was safe, warm and with his best friend. Mikleo would never hurt Sorey, everything would be fine. Sorey shoved his trepidation aside forcefully, focusing his attention on Mikleo's face.

Slowly, Mikleo pushed himself into Sorey. His penis was big, much bigger than his fingers had been. The stretching was almost unbearable, and the friction against Sorey's dry skin almost burned. Sorey gasped, doing his utmost to stay relaxed. Mikleo looked to be as overwhelmed as Sorey felt. His eyes were clenched shut, and his eyebrows were knitted together. The heat and pressure around his cock felt soothing and stimulating at the same time. Mikleo's aching need for stimulus was all at once being fulfilled by Sorey's clamping heat. The deeper he pressed the better it felt.

Mikleo continued until he couldn't go any deeper. His pelvic bone pressed against Sorey's ass, and he was completely surrounded. He had no idea that covering one small appendage could consume his mind so entirely. Mikleo could feel the pressure of Sorey's anus everywhere. The throbbing had subsided, but a deep tremble had taken root in Mikleo's body. He felt securely wrapped in Sorey's warmth, and unsteady on his hands and knees at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, Mikleo peeked at Sorey. His lover was staring at him, eyes dilated and panting slightly. Sorey was flushed and trembling, eyes flicking back and forth between Mikleo's. Tenderly, Mikleo pressed a kiss to Sorey's mouth. His mind went blank, lost in the all consuming sensation of touching Sorey. Soft lips moved slowly, tongues swiping against each other and breath mingling. The world was still and quiet, warm and tight, and Mikleo was convinced there was no better feeling in all the universe.

Then Sorey moved. Involuntarily, he rolled his hips, sending a spiral of sensation that shocked Mikleo to his very core. He gasped, and grabbed Sorey's hips, shocked at the explosion of pleasure that he had felt.

"Sorey!" he gasped, voice husky with lust.

Sorey's head had rolled back to the pillow, eyes shut. He was trembling so hard that he couldn't keep himself up any longer. Mikleo's dick felt so good inside of him, but he was used to a little more stimulus. That building tension of pleasure in his gut was beginning to unravel, but Sorey wanted more. He wanted Mikleo to continue where he left off, to build that mountain of pleasure inside Sorey until he reached that explosion of sensation that Alistar called an orgasm. He knew Mikleo could do it, if only he would move.

"Mikleo… please…" Sorey begged breathlessly. "Move…"

Mikleo nodded, and slowly pulled out, and if that wasn't the epitome of pleasure he didn't know what was. The head of Mikleo's penis rubbed hard against Sorey's insides, throwing Mikleo's mind into a blissful spiral. But Mikleo was wrong again. Just before pulling all the way out, he pushed back in. Hips snapped forward faster than he was intending. The sudden flood of sensation, both from the quick movement and from his pelvis slamming against Sorey was even better than sliding out had been. Sorey groaned, deep and guttural, shaking hands wadding up the bed sheets.

"Sorry," Mikleo painted, pausing again. "I don't know if I can hold back much longer."

Then, Sorey said something that surprised them both. "Don't."

The human reached one trembling hand out and grabbed a fist full of long, white hair. He pulled Mikleo hard into a deep kiss, shoving his tongue down the seraph's throat. Mikleo, lost in pleasure, picked up a jerky, erratic pace. He was so distracted by Sorey's kiss that he didn't even realize his body was moving until Sorey groaned into his mouth. This moment was bone numbingly carnal, filled with instinct and inexplicable pleasure. Mikleo let go of his reservations and succumbed to his desires. He felt like he could melt into Sorey, sink into the bare, muscular chest and forever be one with his human. As it was, he couldn't tell where he ended and Sorey began.

Sorey's breathing was ragged. It was difficult to breath around the tongue in his mouth with the constant pounding in his abdomen. With a racing heart, Sorey gasped for air. His senses were being overridden by Mikleo. Nothing existed except for hot limbs and something that smelled like mountain air and vanilla. Sorey's whole body shook, not just from Mikleo's actions. His legs were wrapped around the seraph's waist, and his fingers were clutching desperately to Mikleo's hair. An all too familiar pleasure was just about to reach its peak.

As the tension began to constrict his balls, Sorey pulled Mikleo's mouth from his. "It- It's happening… I'm…" Sorey didn't have enough coherent thought to string together what he wanted to say.

The brunette shuddered violently, crying out in ecstasy as white hot cum spilled over his stomach. But it didn't stop, Mikleo didn't stop. The seraph was chasing his own pleasure, his ever increasing pace pounding hard into Sorey. Sorey felt weak, and oversensitive. His whole body crackled with sensation. He felt the sheets on his back scratching almost painfully and his abused prostate pulsed with over stimulation. Sorey couldn't keep his voice in check, and continued to cry out at the intense mixture of pain and pleasure. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he was drooling. He didn't think he could take this a second longer and never wanted it to end.

When Sorey went limp, Mikleo only grasped his hips harder. Burying his face in Sorey's neck, he began to knead the flesh with his teeth. The seraph was losing control. As he grew closer to whatever end this was about to come to, the more he wanted claim Sorey as his own. Mikleo wanted to mark his partner, dig his fangs into his body and scar him with a mark that would prove his ownership. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mikleo knew that it was his draconic instincts kicking in, but he was too far gone to listen to anything reasonable. Yet, he clung to enough rational to keep his teeth to himself. As a distraction, he suckled on the soft skin just above Sorey's collar bone.

Sorey's shouting was egging Mikleo onward, encouraging even faster thrusts than Mikleo thought was possible of performing. Then, something suddenly washed over Mikleo and his movement slammed to a halt. He was buried as deeply as he could be in Sorey's ass, as wave after wave of blinding pleasure crashed over him. Mikleo cried out, but couldn't hear himself over the levity. This must be what Sorey felt, what Sorey meant when he said Mikleo didn't understand. The all consuming, all encompassing, pleasure was intimidating. If he weren't clutched tightly to his best friend's chest he might have been scared. Instead, he felt a strange sense of kinship. The bond between the boys glowed brightly in his mind's eye, overflowing with love.

Mikleo rode out his high to the gentle rise and fall of Sorey's chest. He felt numb, lightly drifting in and out of reality. The first thing he noticed when he came closer to his senses was that he was still inside of Sorey. Mikleo pushed himself up, grimacing at the squelching sound their bodies made as they separated. He had collapsed right into Sorey's ejaculate, and was suddenly regretting the decision. Mikleo's eyes lazily focused on Sorey's face, and he was momentarily stunned at the sight.

Sorey's eyes were half lidded, and there was a half smile on his open mouth. Tear tracks trailed down his temples, and a little bit of spittle glistened off his chin. Brown hair was tousled in a tell-tale way. Sorey looked like a complete disaster, but more satisfied than Mikleo had ever seen him look in his life. Pride welled up in Mikleo's chest. He had done this. Mikleo had been the one to bring Sorey to the pinnacle of human pleasure, with his hands and his body. And he was the only one who could. As Mikleo basked in this glory, he ran his fingers across the dark mark that had appeared above Sorey's collar bone.

Sorey sighed, eyes fluttering shut with exhaustion. Mikleo took that as his que to pull out. His human flinched, still sensitive from his orgasm. They were both too exhausted to clean up, and Mikleo secretly felt pleased that his seed would continue to stay within Sorey until morning. Mikleo settled down on the sheets next to his lover, who rolled over as if chasing after him. Sorey wrapped his arms around Mikleo, tucking his seraph's head under his chin. Mikleo fidgeted against the constricting embrace.

"Just let me hold you," Sorey mumbled, sleep already influencing his voice.

Mikleo stilled, giving Sorey what he wanted. Sorey had already given Mikleo so much tonight, it was the least Mikleo could do. Like that, folded into each other's bodies, the two fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Sorey was sticky. That was about the only thought in his mind when he first awoke. There were a lot of things sticking to him. The sheets were sticking to his chest. Mikleo's hair was sticking to his face. His butt cheeks were sticking together. Overall, Sorey was uncomfortable. He groaned, rolling over and doing his best to un-stick himself from the bed. Even his eyes felt stuck together when he tried to open them. Sunlight burned them, brighter than Sorey expected. He had slept in.

Mikleo was still asleep next to him, laying on his side facing the wall. Sorey wasn't sure how much longer the seraph would be asleep, and did his best to get up without waking his lover. However, the jostling of the bed was enough to arouse Mikleo. He blinked, amethyst eyes bleary, and looked up at Sorey.

"Good morning," Sorey said, voice surprsingly scratchy.

Mikleo sat up and kissed Sorey tenderly on the lips. It was warm and sweet and said a million things that words could not. Sorey was both surprised and enthralled by the kiss.

"You're a mess," Mikleo said after a moment, pulling away from Sorey's lips.

The seraph had been a little startled by the sight that greeted him this morning. Sorey was covered in crusty ejaculate, looking flustered under a mop of tangled hair. The sight was erotic, and Mikleo felt the ghost of a memory of what that meant in his loins. It had compelled him to kiss Sorey before even saying anything to his lover.

Sorey pouted. "I feel disgusting," he grumbled.

Mikleo chuckled, finding it humorous that Sorey didn't find his state as appealing as Mikleo did. "Want me to get you a bowl of water and a cloth?"

"No, I think I want to go straight to the hot springs." Then, blushing, he added, "There's stuff in places I don't think a towel will reach."

Mikleo nodded, blushing at the memory of putting that 'stuff' in 'those places.' He helped Sorey get dressed, who seemed to have some residual soreness in his hips and back. Sorey only dressed in the light, cotton shirt, not wanting the tight vest to rub against the crusty mess on his chest. When the two emerged from the cabin, they were greeted to the sound of scattered applause and a few wolf whistles. Sorey blushed and Mikleo rolled his eyes.

Mikleo led Sorey across the clearing, feeling a little proud of the telling stagger in Sorey's gait. It seems last night was a gift that keeps on giving. Yes, he was the one to cause the fumble in Sorey's step. Those other dragons had better not be getting any funny ideas. Mikleo's thoughts were halted when Sorey grabbed his hand. The gesture was commonplace, but was sudden enough to ground Mikleo. Had he really just been allowing his draconic instincts to take over? Mikleo mentally shook himself, giving Sorey a smile of thanks. How Sorey had known what was happening to Mikleo was a mystery, but he was grateful regardless.

When they reached the gate, Mikleo spat some venom on the weaves, allowing Sorey passage out. After promising to get Sorey a cloth with some venom so he could freely enter and exit the keep, Mikleo made his way back to the clearing. Elise was sitting on one of the logs by the fire pit. She was naked, sitting on top of Alistar's cloak and drawing something in the dirt with a stick. Mikleo decided to join her before going to the Longhouse for breakfast.

"Good morning Mikleo," Elise smiled as Mikleo sat down next to her. "The sun feels rather pleasant this morning."

Mikleo nodded, pulling off his cloak so he could also feel the warm rays of light against his skin. "I never really got to enjoy the sun like this when I was just a seraph," Mikleo said conversationally.

"Hum… yes. I don't think I did either."

"You don't remember?" Mikleo asked, puzzled.

"It's not that I can't remember, I just choose not to," Elise replied, her gaze far away. When Mikleo still looked puzzled, she said, "There is no one left in this world that remembers the me from before I was a dragon. I find it best to leave them all in the past."

Mikleo frowned. "What happened to them?"

Elise's face grew dark, as if she were remembering something very unpleasant and wasn't sure how to talk about it. "When my few friends found out I had become a dragon, they came to 'take care' of me. We fought. They lost."

"I'm sorry," Mikleo said, regretting having brought this up.

"It's fine. Like I said, that's all in the past. Besides, after a few hundred years I met Alistar, and now I'm here. I'd say it all worked out in the end."

Mikleo still felt badly. He had forgotten that not all dragons had been as fortunate as he had been; to be able to join a dragonlord clan before he had caused harm to anyone. On top of that, Elise was a dragon born from malevolence. Even one hundred years was a long time to be left alone in that insanity. Elise probably had a more destructive past than she was letting on. Looking around for a way to change the subject, Mikleo took note of the scribbles in the dirt.

"What are you doing?" he asked, pointing to the dirt with his toe.

"Oh, I was just trying to structure the next strike. I was chosen as wing leader for it, so I was considering who to place on my team," Elise explained.

As Mikleo watched, Elise scribbled another symbol in the dirt. On closer inspection, the lines in the dirt resembled an ancient script, one that was utterly foreign to Mikleo. "Who do you have so far?" he asked.

"Well, I have Nimway and Terry as my forwards," Elise said, pointing to the two symbols on the farthest edges. "Molly and Siara on the left wing as fire support. Agustus said he would be look-out. but that leaves me without a good counterbalance to Molly and Siara for the right wing." Elise drew a circle in the dirt in the empty space on the right of the center symbol. Drumming her fingers against her chin, she turned and looked at Mikleo.

"What is it?"

"Are you interested in joining us?" Elise asked. "It would be good to have another water dragon on the strike. You would compliment Molly and Siara, who are both fire dragons. Plus you are nice and big, I wouldn't have to worry about Agustus losing track of you with his nearsightedness."

"Agustus is nearsighted?"

"Yes, but he doesn't like to advertise it. What do you say Mikleo, are you in?"

"Are you sure you want to ask me? I'm unbonded," Mikleo replied shyly.

"You were plenty well behaved last time we went on a strike. I see no reason not to trust you again."

Mikleo didn't remember much of last time, so he was forced to take Elise's word for it. "Alright, I'll go."

"Great!" Elise said, scratching another symbol into the center of the circle. "So now I have two fire dragons, two water dragons, an earth dragon, a wind dragon, and me. That gives me the diversity, but the question is the teamwork. Terry works well with the fire dragons…" Elise kept up her mumbling as she continued to poke at the dirt.

Mikleo left Elise to her musings, deciding that the tactical decisions were best left up to someone with a little more experience.

Before he had gotten far, Elise called after him. "We leave at noon, be ready."

Mikleo waved his acknowledgement, taking himself to the Longhouse for some much needed breakfast.

* * *

Sorey didn't return to the keep until noon. He had spent hours in the hot springs, scrubbing, rubbing and soaking away the remains from last night. The process had been rejuvenating, and Sorey returned with heightened spirits. He was surprised to find several dragons and Lords setting up for another strike. Recognizing Mikleo amongst the group, Sorey approached his lover.

"What's going on?" Sorey asked.

"Elise invited me on a strike today," Mikleo answered, turning away from his previous conversation. "Welcome back, you look better."

"That isn't saying much," Sorey said abashedly, rubbing a hand behind his head.

"Well, I'm glad you made it back in time. You can see me off."

Sorey nodded and Mikleo returned to his conversation with Terry. The older water seraph was giving Mikleo pointers on how best to maneuver in the void. It all made very little sense to Sorey. Then again, he had never been a flying dragon before. Mikleo was nodding, absorbing Terry's advice as best he could. Hopefully his mind would remain stable today. Mikleo felt certain that he would be more valuable to the team if he was able to think straight.

Shortly after Sorey arrived, the dragons assembled in the clearing. The Lords followed procedure and the seraphim changed into dragons. Just like his first strike, Mikleo waited for Elise to transform before being doused with water by Sorey. He felt the familiar twisting of his bones, the swelling of his muscles, and Mikleo transformed. Looking around, Mikleo marveled at how seamlessly he had transformed. This time, he didn't feel out of balance, uncoordinated due to his unfamiliar size.

Looking down, Mikleo noticed Sorey standing at his feet. It was about time the taller Sorey had to look up to him, the seraph thought humorously. Despite being a robust human, as Mikleo was now, Sorey seemed almost fragile. He was so small, cute even, compared to Mikleo's own magnificence. The cabins, which looked so sturdy to Mikleo as a seraph, seemed easy to topple now that he stood taller than the rooftops.

Breathing in deeply, Mikleo inhaled cool mountain air. He felt collected, his thoughts flowing almost linearly through his mind. This was the most sane he had ever felt as a dragon, and Mikleo reveled in the sensation. Maybe it was the sex, a voice said in his mind. He dismissed the thought as silly. Mikleo imagined that he would need more than just a little sex to ground the imense powers he possesed as a dragon.

Casing a wary glance at Elise, he noticed the black dragon watching him closely. Before she could reach around and bite at Mikleo, the water dragon bounded off towards the canyon. He was the first dragon in the formation to move, and the others followed close behind. Mikleo lept, powerful wings beating the air as he ascended. The cliff side dropped off below him, and he stared in awe at the sheer expanse of the void before him.

All encompassing would be putting it mildly. There was nothing but void as far as the eye could see. The wall of blackness looked impenetrable, and it made Mikleo nervous despite having flown into it twice before. Just before he flew past the border between the stable world and the void, Mikleo shut his eyes. He expected to feel a strange sensation wash over him, or perhaps run directly into a solid object, but none of that happened. Nothing happened, and that was the crux of it all. The void was nothing, devoid of all things. When Mikleo opened his eyes again, he was immersed in that empty blackness.

For a second, Mikleo thought he hadn't opened his eyes. Nothing was around him, the same empty blackness that he saw in the back of his eyelids. He thought he felt cold, but he didn't. It was just his mind trying to come up with a sensation in place of the deprivation he felt clinging to his skin. Breathing deeply, something flowed in and out of his lungs, but he didn't think it was air. Just more of this strange nothing.

Something stirred in the blackness. A curling current of white hot twisted around in the void, reminding Mikleo why he was here. He needed to make something, fill this nothing with something so that the nothing would recede. Sucking in a lungful of the not-air, he prepared a blast of icy breath. Venom dripped down the ends of his long fangs, pooling at their points. Breathing out, he thought of ice, strong flurries of frozen water that would buffet in all directions. Out of his mouth came a torrent of fine ice shards, powerful enough in their multitude to rend a creature imobile, if not tear their limbs from bodies.

The void parted, or seemed to part, for the gust of frost. The ice cut through the nothing like a cannon, creating depth in the once stagnant plateau. Mikleo panted, finding flying was surprisingly difficult without air currents to push against. His icy breath dissipated into the void, and Mikleo thought the burden was a little lighter around him. As if the repressive darkness had withdrawn a little bit in the presence of his ice. To think of the darkness as repressive was a little counter intuitive, considering that there was no substance to the darkness, but that's how it felt to Mikleo.

Mikleo cast his gaze around, looking for the others, and was surprised to find that he could easily spot them. Or maybe it wasn't surprising. It's not like there was anything here to obstruct his view of them. The blackness cast the illusion that he was covered in something like a blinding fog, but that was not the case. The sight of the other dragons was incredibly strange. Without any shadows or land formations to judge with, they appeared to be right next to him, but they were smaller than they should be. He was convinced he could reach out and touch them, but knew logically that they were too far away.

Before the odd spectacle could baffle Mikleo too much, he turned away, refocusing on fighting the void. Which was also a strange thing to think about, because there wasn't really anything there to fight. He couldn't direct his frost breath in any particular direction because direction in the void was meaningless. Up and down, left and right, north and south, they did not exist. Just in the void, and not in the void, that's all there was.

Mikleo swiped his clawed hand out, imagining he was stirring currents of air or tides in the ocean. As if in response to his own imagination, a twirling gust of mist spiraled away from his fingertips. That in itself was another curiosity. What was there to make the mist spiral if there was nothing in the void? Did he create not only the mist but also the air current for it to drift on? Can he even do that without being a wind dragon? Questions flooded his mind as his hands continued to paw and claw at the air.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, hovering with his hands before him in the void. Time didn't seem to flow steadily for Mikleo anymore. It skipped around with the pounding in his head. There was just so much energy, so much power. He wanted to explode, let it all come pouring out of him until there was nothing left to pour. A dragon was roaring. It may very well have been Mikleo that was roaring, but he couldn't tell.

He thrashed, or he thought he did. It was hard to tell when there was nothing to thrash against. He flew, but with no direction it was hard to tell if flying really counted as flying. Mikleo was so frustrated and confused, and the pounding was getting louder in his head. He screamed in anger, the scream turning into a gust of frost that dissipated into the void. Screaming helped, it grounded Mikleo enough to organize his thoughts momentarily. He noticed vaguely that flying was a little bit easier than before, and getting easier with each passing second.

* * *

The dragons returned to the keep at sundown. Mikleo didn't feel as exhausted this time, and he remembered a lot more. Touching down on the ground in the clearing, Mikleo shifted back to his seraphim form. This time, he didn't fall to the dust. He remained standing on his own two feet, looking around for Sorey and his cloak. He spotted the human at the edge of the clearing, chatting with some of the wind seraphim. Mikleo was slightly disappointed that Sorey hadn't noticed his arrival, but all thoughts of disappointment vanished the moment bright, emerald eyes turned his way.

Elise clapped a hand on Mikleo's shoulder as Sorey approached them.

"Well done today Mikleo. You seemed more level headed than you have in the past," she complimented.

"Yeah, I felt that way too," Mikleo admitted.

"It might have been the sex," Elise suggested, smiling to Sorey.

"The what?" Sorey balked.

"Could it really have been?" Mikleo asked.

"Certainly," Alistar jumped in. "Those kinds of things stick around longer than you would think. The physical contact and surge of endorphins can be very grounding for a dragon."

"Is that why sex is used during the bonding ceremony?" asked Mikleo.

"It is," Elise confirmed. "Speaking of which, the full moon is almost upon us. Do you boys think you are ready to be bonded?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Fantastic! We will begin preparations. The moon will be at its fullest this weekend. We will hold the ceremony then."


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the week passed by in a blur. There were a thousand things to do in order to prepare for the bonding ceremony. Cabins were decorated with garlands, the fire pit was scrubbed clean (a messy project some of the earth seraphim took great pleasure in), a feast was prepared, ceremonial masks and clothing were found and cleaned. The list of activities went on and on. Each day was so busy that Mikleo and Sorey went straight to bed after dinner, not having the energy to 'practice' for the ceremony, as Alistar put it.

When the day finally arrived, Mikleo and Sorey were both waylaid at breakfast. Terry, Machell and Artimus came to abduct Mikleo, saying they needed to prepare him for the ceremony. Todd and Alistar came and said the same for Sorey. The lovers parted with a wary glance to each other, uncertain what they were about to face.

Alistar and Todd dragged Sorey to the hot springs, saying they were tasked with cleaning him up and debriefing him for the ceremony. The first thing they did was scrub Sorey down. He was dunked in the hot spring stark naked and had to put up with the other two scrubbing his back and chest with rough towles. Sorey insisted to be the one to clean his own genitals. The only one who would be touching him there would be either himself or Mikleo. After the scrubbing he was rubbed all over with a sweet smelling oil and sat in the sunshine to dry.

Sorey felt a little uncomfortable being the only naked one between the three of them. He did his best to distract himself with the lecture Todd and Alistar were giving him about the bonding ritual. The ceremony consisted of three parts, the first of which being a feast. At sunset there would be a grand feast in the Longhouse. It would be the first time since Sorey arrived that he would see all the residents of the keep in the Longhouse together. There would be no speech. Sometimes parents or friends of the couple to be bonded would insist on one, but neither Mikleo nor Sorey had wanted one and on one had insisted on it.

After the meal, the group would gather outside. The bonfire would be lit by the two to be bonded, symbolizing a bright future for the couple. Then there would be dancing, singing and drinks. This was considered a free time, where friends would gather to celebrate and give everyone a chance to congratulate the couple. The drinks would be both alcoholic and nonalcoholic to compensate for everyone's preferences. Ceremonial tea would also be available at this time for the bonding dragon. Mikleo and Sorey had discussed at length if he would use the tea during the ceremony, and they had decided it would be best if Mikleo drank the tea.

The final stage happened when the moon was highest in the sky. At that time the couple, Sorey and Mikleo, would join each other on a bed that would be brought to the fireside. From there they would have sex. How they went about it was entirely up to them. The rest of the clan would be there to encourage the couple. Music would be playing, people would be dancing around the bed, and there would be cheering. When Sorey admitted that he was still nervous about this part of the ceremony, Alistar and Todd both had encouraging things to say.

They promised that if Sorey was able to go with the flow, and realize that everyone was there to support him, then it wouldn't be so bad. Todd, who had grown up in the clan and seen many bonding rituals, said that the ceremony always sounded more embarrassing than it actually was. It was much more like a celebration than a performance, and there were no expectations so there was no way Sorey could screw up. Alistar acknowledged that the ceremony could be intimidating, and told Sorey that being publicly affectionate would get easier. After all, he knew all these people, and had watched them do the same kinds of things for the past month and a half while living in the keep.

Sorey did his best to take comfort in the words of his friends. They sat there a while longer, bright sunshine warming their skin while Todd and Alistar exchanged stories about their own bonding rituals. Hearing about his friend's experiences did make Sorey feel better, like some of the expectation was lifted from him. Big, puffy clouds drifted lazily across the light blue sky. When the oils had finally dried, it was time to get dressed.

Alistar and Elise had spent many weeks in secret preparing ceremonial garb for both Mikleo and Sorey. The clothing was not as elaborate as Sorey was expecting. There was no top, his chest would be bare for the ceremony. The only piece was a long swatch of blue fabric that wrapped around his waist. Sorey marveled at the beauty of such a simple design. The fabric was not a solid color. It faded seamlessly from light, sky blue to deep turquoise. Whoever had died the fabric must have spent hours getting the transition from light to dark just right. The cloth was tied around Sorey with an intricate knot at the hip; one that could be easily pulled away but remained taught despite Sorey moving about.

The intricacies came with a part of the costume Sorey had not expected. He was to be adorned with body paint. Todd, who had more experience with the preparations of bonding ceremonies, painted an elaborate pattern of symbols across Sorey's exposed body. Runes were written down each arm and leg, and beautiful symbols were traced across his chest. Sorey received a symbol for each cheek, and dragon wings were painted onto his back.

This process took hours, and Sorey began to understand why they needed to begin preparing for the ceremony so early in the day. Alistar did his best to explain the symbols as Todd painted, keeping Sorey entertained. The symbols on his extremities were mostly to help guide Mikleo's power. They were like signposts, directing the magic to the center of Sorey where it would be able to meld with his soul. The symbols on his chest were blessings from the clan. They represented well wishes and hopes for a good future. This would enhance the magic that was directed to his core, and make the magic peaceful.

Many of the symbols were of ancient script, so old that they didn't have proper translations in the current dialect. Some were so old that not even Alistar could explain what they were for. Todd was too focused on his task to provide any input on the matter. However, there was some writing that was done in modern script. Across his throat, Todd painted Mikleo's name like a collar, a band of ownership. The symbol on his right cheek read 'dragon,' and the symbol on his left cheek was for 'human,' or 'lord.'

Just as Todd placed the final touches on Sorey's paint, they were surprised by a visit from Elise. She had walked away from the hubbub at the keep in order to deliver something to Sorey. She handed him a small, wooden box while he was preparing to pin his earrings back into place.

"Before you put those on, Sorey, take a look at this," she said.

Sorey lifted the lid of the box and gasped in amazement. Inside the box, on a small cushion, lay two beautiful, handcrafted earrings. The metal was pure silver, shining brightly even in the dim lighting of the hot spring's caves. Six long, silver wires arched out from two sturdy cuffs, curving up and around, along where his ear would be. At the end of each wire was a small ring. Each ring attached a beautiful, iridescent scale to the silver wires. The scales were bright white, but had a turquoise lustre.

"This is for you. I made them for you to wear during the ceremony. You don't have to wear them if you don't want to, I know how special those feather earrings are to you."

"No… I mean- yes, they are special to me, but this... Elise, thank you. Are these Mikleo's scales?"

"Yes, they are," Elise smiled warmly at Sorey's enthusiastic response.

"How did you get them?"

Elise tapped her lips with one finger. "I have my ways." She winked and then said, "I had best get back to the keep. There are still some things I want to take care of before this evening."

Sorey pinned his new earrings into his ear, and placed his old feather earrings in the box and handed it back to Elise. "Would you mind putting this in my cabin for me? I don't want them getting lost."

"Of course Sorey, I'll take care of it. See you tonight."

Elise left without further ado. Todd and Alistar insisted on doing only a little more prep work before following after her. It was nearing sunset, time to begin the feast. The walk back to the keep was a little chilly, and Sorey had to restrain from rubbing the goosebumps on his arms. He didn't want to disturb Todd's paint. When they finally arrived at the keep, the first thing Sorey did was look for Mikleo. When he found his lover, his breath was stolen by the sight.

Mikleo was also wearing a sash over his waist, but his was in deep, emerald green. Draped around his neck were long strings of seashells of pale cream. His wrists also had bands of shells. Mikleo's long, white hair was tied back in a weave of intricate braids. They were pulled to trail down the seraph's back, and were held by beautiful, silver ribbons. However, the thing that drew Sorey's eye was the very familiar circlet hanging on Mikleo's borw. It looked freshly polished, shining as brightly as it had the day Mikleo had received it from Gramps. The memory sent a wave of nostalgia washing through Sorey.

Mikleo was already in the Longhouse, sitting on a stool at the head of the first, long table. Sorey made his way over to his best friend, his lover, his dragon. It felt good to think of Mikleo as his, and Sorey smiled. He made to sit down on the bench to Mikleo's right, but was caught by firm arms. Sorey instead sat himself in Mikleo's lap, feeling a little silly since he was the bigger of the two. Mikleo lifted a hand to Sorey's new earrings, playing with a dangling scale.

"Are these mine?" Mikleo asked, taking in the beautiful jewelry.

"I am- I mean, they are…" Sorey blushed to his ears at the slip up.

Mikleo paid no mind. His curious fingers moved to caress Sorey's cheek, and guided the human into a tender kiss. A few people began clapping, but Mikleo wouldn't let Sorey look away. A tongue slipped into his mouth, gently tangling with his own. Sorey felt a thrill of excitement. Being held so intimately by Mikleo, showing off their love to supportive friends, was exhilarating. They broke apart at a sudden banging from behind them. Todd had dropped another stool next to Mikleo's.

"For whenever you get tired of Mikleo's lap," he grinned, patting Sorey roughly on the back.

Sorey blushed, and shifted over to the stool Todd had brought. From his new seat he beheld the splendor of the dining tables. Plates of food decorated every inch of the wooden surfaces. A whole roasted prickleboar sat at the center of each of the three tables. Fresh salads and bowls of bread intermingled the empty serving plates and water pitchers. It looked like there would be enough food to feed the entire keep three times over. They were sure to be eating leftovers for at least a week.

To Sorey's surprise, the benches of the Longhouse were not fully packed. Dragons and Lords only occupied seats about two thirds the way down each of the tables. He had always thought the keep was expansive, but never knew that the grounds could accommodate so many more people than resided there already. Each dragon sat next to their Lord, leaving Sorey to conclude that he and Mikleo were the only unbonded pair in the entire keep. Sorey felt pleased that this would soon be rectified.

The feast began with a toast. Once everyone had poured themselves a glass of water, Elise raised her glass to the happy couple. "To Mikleo and Sorey!"

"Mikleo and Sorey!" boomed around the Longhouse, echoing out of each mouth.

Afterwards, they all dug in. The roasted meat was simply divine. Seasoned just right and roasted over the bonfire to perfection. The fresh salads turned out to be greens that grew naturally on the mountainside, picked today for ultimate freshness. They were topped with a sweet and sour dressing that complimented the meat perfectly. Absolutely everything was amazing, Sorey and Mikleo had never had a better meal. They ate so much that they were not sure if they would be able to move after.

Alistar and Terry went to prepare the bonfire just as everyone was finishing their food. After allowing themselves to digest for a few minutes, the rest of the keep began filtering outside. A few people stayed behind to stow the leftovers. Mikleo and Sorey were led outside by an excited Machell. The night was not particularly chilly, but the warmth of the fire would feel cozy and inviting regardless. A table had been dragged outside and lined with an assortment of drinks and sweet refreshments. At the very end of the table sat an inconspicuous teapot and mug, very clearly containing the ceremonial tea for Mikleo.

Across the fire pit from the table stood the bed from Mikleo's cabin. It had been draped with fresh, white sheets and surrounded by glistening gemstones lain in a circle around the bed. They resembled a moat around a castle. The stones were smooth, some looking like cut glass. Even in the dim light, Sorey could recognize aquamarine and lapis lazuli intermixed with a common white stone found around the mountains. There was probably some significance to the stones that escaped Sorey.

Circling around the fire and connecting the bed and the table were logs and benches, many of which had drums sitting in front of them. Alistar was sitting behind one of the drums, fiddling with the strings that held the animal hide to the top of the barrel. He looked happy, lost in his ministrations. Elise was walking up to him, smiling fondly at her Lord's captivation with the instrument. Terry was guarding a lit torch, the one Mikleo and Sorey would use to light the bonfire for the evening.

Machell pulled the pair towards Terry, urging them to hurry up and light the bonfire. One look from the larger water seraph and she quickly changed her mind, telling them to sit down and wait. Not everyone was ready yet and they all wanted to be present for the lighting. Sorey took comfort in her energy. Machell reminded him of a young girl at her first festival, despite the fact that she was many years older than him. Mikleo, on the other hand, was carrying a nervous tension. He was sitting with a straight back, hands clenched into fists on his knees. Sorey ran a warm hand across Mikleo's bare back comfortingly.

Mikleo visibly relaxed under his touch, his amethyst eyes glancing over to Sorey. They were filled with such compassion that Sorey was floored. The heat of their touching bodies seemed to radiate with love.

"I never would have imagined we would end up like this," Mikleo mused, turning his gaze to the sky.

Sorey followed his gaze. "If someone had come up to me and told me this is how things would have turned out, I don't think I would have believed them."

"You're probably right," Mikleo agreed.

The two remained silent for a long moment, staring up at the sky and lost in their own personal reminiscent memories. Sorey snuggled closer to Mikleo as they watched the sky. They didn't have long to their thoughts before Machell approached them.

"It's time! It's time!" she chanted eagerly

Sure enough, everyone in the keep had taken a spot around the fire pit. Some were sitting down, but most were standing up. Excitement could almost be tasted in the air. Terry nodded to Mikleo and Sorey, and he stepped away from the lit torch. The two approached, each grasping the wood shaft before carefully pulling it from its holder. Slowly, so as not to extinguish the flame, they walked to the huge pile of wood waiting to be lit. They nestled the tip of the torch into the dry leaves and kindling at the bottom, counting the seconds until the starter smoked.

The bonfire caught slowly. At first, the dry leaves burst into brilliant flame and then crumpled into ash. As each one ignited, the fire became brighter, and a few faint strands of flame began to cling to the kindling. Terry was the first one to notice that the fire had been lit, and he began clapping. The rest of the crowd caught on as quickly as the fire did to the kindling. Soon enough, the blaze was welcomed by a cacophony of applause. People hooted and hollered, and a proud grin spread across Mikleo and Sorey's faces. They tilted the torch to lay against the wood frame of the bonfire so that it could burn along with its brethren.

With that, Sorey heard a distinct shout rise over the sound of the clapping. In response, the drum players all pounded a single time at the center of their drums. The crowd cheered louder and the standers moved into the clearing between the benches and the fire pit. There was another shout, and Sorey noticed that it was Alistar leading the drummers. They all broke into a steady rhythm as the crowd broke out into dance. The beat was fast and cheerful, accompanied by the the gingeling of bells that were strapped to many dancers' feet. Everything was overwhelmingly lively.

The dancers around the fire were not at all coordinated. Sorey had expected some kind of group dance that he needed to know the steps to, but that was not the case. Each person or group were dancing their own dances. Some couples were entwined in partner dances. Some people danced individually. Some people just flailed around making up a dance all of their own. There was even a group doing a small circle dance.

"Let's dance too," Sorey said excitedly.

"What did you have in mind?" Mikleo asked, not about to turn down this challenge.

"Do you remember the marriage dance in Elysia?"

Mikleo nodded, remembering learning it for Mason's wedding.

They took each other's hands, and began the steps they had once rehearsed for someone else's special day. As people began to notice Mikleo and Sorey, they began to watch the two. Soon enough, a circle had formed around the dancing couple, people clapping in time to the beat of the drums. Sorey laughed as he spun Mikleo around, catching him before he twisted into the group of onlookers. Mikleo matched his grin, prancing about gracefully under the star strewn sky.

As the night wore on, Mikleo and Sorey were taught many dances from their friends. They had to bow out for water frequently, but they enjoyed learning dances from a vast number of cultures throughout the evening. Every so often one of the dancers would relieve a drummer, giving them a chance to dance or refill their wine cups. Even Alistar, who seemed content to lead the drummers all evening, was begged into a dance by Elise. They led Sorey and Mikleo in a four person dance with lots of skipping and passing of partners that Alistar claimed he had learned before becoming a Dragonlord.

It was an hour before midnight when Mikleo finally demanded that they sit down and rest. Sorey chose a seat opposite the drummers, where he would hopefully be able to hear Mikleo speak. Mikleo met him with a glass of water and a mug of tea. The tea reminded Sorey of what they were about to do in an hour, and he blushed, mumbling a thank you for the water.

"I'm surprised it's still warm," Sorey commented, noticing the steam that was rising from Mikleo's mug.

Mikleo shook his head. "Siara warmed it up for me."

"I see…." Sorey trailed off, not sure what to talk about.

"Are you nervous?" Mikleo asked.

"Yeah," Sorey admitted. "Are you?"

"Perhaps a little." Mikleo didn't want to admit to feeling daunted by the final stage of the ceremony.

"It's ok to be nervous," Sorey said, doing his best to comfort his friend, and himself.

"Come on Sorey, we have done much more intimidating things before. This will hardly be a trifle." Mikleo continued to deny his nerves, sipping his tea.

"Oh yeah?"

"Like going to fight the Lord of Calamity for the last time," Mikleo recalled. "Or going alone into a malevolent crucible."

"When you put it that way, what we are about to do seems rather mundane."

"Exactly," Mikleo said with conviction, taking a large gulp of tea. He leaned into Sorey's shoulder, finding his touch comforting against the prickling sensation that had begun to vibrate under his skin.

In fact, Sorey's warm body was wonderful. Mikleo thought about how soft his brunette friend was, and how strong he was. Sorey's muscles were well defined, and Mikleo longed to run his hand down his chiseled chest. The seraph trailed one hand around Sorey's waist, relishing in the feeling of skin against his fingertips. He was beginning to lose interest in his tea, opting instead to run his tongue up Sorey's neck. Imagining the mark that he was soon going to be placing there made something hot curl in his abdomen. Mikleo rested one hand on Sorey's upper thigh, and the human hummed quietly.

"I thought we were resting," Sorey said.

Mikleo hummed noncommittally, beginning to suck on Sorey's neck. Sorey leaned his head away, opening up better access to his neck. He sighed and allowed himself to become immersed by the sensation. The sweet laving of Mikleo's tongue sent heat to Sorey's groin, making his eyes flutter shut. He wallowed in the feelings long enough for it to affect him with a familiar stiffening in his groin. Sorey jumped violently when the hand on his thigh suddenly moved to cover his genitals.

He heard Mikleo chuckle into his ear, a smile pressed to his neck.

The two were interrupted by a deep voice. "Is it time?" Terry asked, standing before the couple.

Sorey yelped in surprise, Mikleo turned a frustrated glare to his friend.

"Um-Uh- I don't know," Sorey stuttered, his nervousness returning. He looked up at the sky and examined the position of the moon. "It doesn't look like it's midnight yet."

Terry looked up as well, brow furrowed. "Seems close enough to me," he grunted. The large seraph turned away and shouted across the fire. "Alistar! It's time!"

Mikleo looked at Sorey smugly, dowing the last of his tea. The seraph was excited, the arousal he was feeling overriding any trepidation he had been pretending he didn't have. Sorey stood, and made his way over to their bed, Mikleo at his side. They carefully stepped over the ring of stones, and climbed up on the sheets. Alistar led the drum line in a slow, and steady beat. This music was filled with anticipation, much more appropriate for part of the ceremony that was about to begin.

A lot of things began happening very fast for Sorey. As soon as Mikleo was on the bed, Sorey was pushed down onto the sheets. The seraph did not have the patience to wait for the clan to gather. His lithe body was surprisingly sturdy as he pressed Sorey's hands into the mattress above his head. Mikleo was straddling Sorey's hips, using his pelvis to trap the human and hold him still. A warm tongue picked up it's previous ministrations, laving at a pulse point in Sorey's neck.

All around them, people were moving. Tall, white candles were brought out and nestled into the circle of rocks, lit by small sparks from the tips of a fire seraph's fingers. People were giggling and clapping. Encouraging smiles encompassed the couple. The drums continued to beat, the anticipation beginning to fill Mikleo and Sorey like the rising tide. Only once a majority of the clan had gathered around the bed did Mikleo look up from Sorey's neck.

He growled low in his throat. "Mine," he rapsed, glaring at the crowd.

Sorey was surprised to find himself hardening at Mikleo's territorial claim.

Instead of being intimidated, this sparked a round of applause from the gathering. Mikleo smiled, feeling encouraged by the excitement of the crowd. He bent down and pressed his teeth lightly into Sorey's flesh. Sorey felt a thrill shoot down his body, his hips rolling involuntarily at the sensation. The cloth around his waist was beginning to feel uncomfortable and itchy. He wanted it off, to feel Mikleo's milky skin across his body.

"Stop teasing me," he muttered, squirming in Mikleo's grasp.

Sorey felt a smile pressed into his neck, and suddenly hands were at the knot in his sash. The fabric was torn away enthusiastically and the crowd gave another cheer. Mikleo removed his own fabric to the applause. There were wolf whistles and hollars, the clan just as excited as they were. Sorey flushed with embarrassment, and went to cover himself, but his hands were still trapped by his seraph. He whined, his very erect penis standing out in the cool night air. Sorey opened his eyes, and saw that Mikleo's were blown wide with lust.

Mikleo licked his lips. "Touch me," he ordered, releasing Sorey's hands.

Sorey didn't even think about disobeying. He ran his big, warm hands over Mikleo's sides, down to his hips. In the firelight, you couldn't tell the difference between their skin tones. Mikleo was trembling beneath his touch. Perhaps the tea had been stronger today than last time. Mikleo looked debauched, lips parted and panting. Hair was beginning to pull loose from his braids. Sorey leaned up and pressed a kiss to those soft lips to the sound of more clapping.

Mikleo moaned, Sorey's touch stoking a deep, carnal pleasure deep inside him. He wanted so badly to feel Sorey wrapped around his penis, surrounded by the warmth of his friends and lover. As they kissed, Mikleo ground his hips down, rubbing his penis along Sorey's warm abdomen. The boys moaned in unison at the sensation. Still, it wasn't nearly enough. Mikleo wanted Sorey to touch him somewhere else, not just his back and hips.

"My penis, Sorey," Mikleo chastised, feeling frustrated. "Touch my peni-" he moaned as Sorey complied

Sorey wrapped his hand around both of them, his large palms pressing firmly against their shafts. The action was incredibly intimate. Sorey felt a bubble of warmth balloon inside his chest at the thought of holding such delicate and personal parts of himself and his lover. The feeling only grew with the supportive applause from his gathered clanmates. When Mikleo moved, rubbing his length against Sorey's penis and palm, it felt really good. Sorey threw his head back, groaning at the sensations filling his abdomen. A few people whistled at Sroey's reaction, encouraging Mikleo to continue.

What the boys did not know, was that small ice crystals were beginning to form of the gemstones around the circle. Mana was gathering in the air, conjured by the levity of the crowd and guided by the people's thoughts to the joining couple. A bowl of oil was placed on the bed next to them. Mikleo must have expected this because he didn't snap at the one who invaded his space. Still rolling his hips, he dipped his fingers in the oil, coating up to the knuckles. He drizzled oil all over the sheets and down Sorey's leg when he removed his hand.

Tenderly, he pulled out of Sorey's grasp with a long kiss. Sorey muttered and moaned, clearly trying to communicate something but was muffled by the kiss. Mikleo didn't wait to find out what it was. He moved back, settling down between Sorey's legs. Panting, Sorey watched Mikleo rearrange his legs. The human was feeling like jelly, loose and slightly trembling. Mikleo pressed a moistened finger into his anus and Sorey jokingly thought he was wet like jelly too.

"Relax love," Mikleo whispered and the crowd let out an 'aw.'

Sorey did, and the first finger to enter his ass went in smoothly. The intrusion felt small, almost inconsequential. He knew he could take more. "Another," Sorey said, raising a cheer from the crowd.

Mikleo nodded and added his second finger. Now it felt like he was being stretched. Sorey could feel Mikleo's digits rubbing against his insides and decided it felt good. There was no burning sensation with the oil. Instead the rubbing felt nice, filling. However, Mikleo's impatience was rubbing off on Sorey. He reached for the bowl of oil and ended up spilling it, a large portion running down the sheets and into his hair. Sorey did manage to get a good amount on his hand. He sat up, taking his oil slick hand and reached for Mikleo's genitals.

As he rearaged himself, Sorey inadvertently caused Mikleo's fingers to curl into his prostate. He shuttered, momentarily distracted from his objective. Rolling his hips, Sorey began to rub himself with Mikleo's fingers. His lips found Mikleo's cheek at the same time his hand found Mikleo's penis. Sorey began lubricating Mikleo while still fucking himself on Mikleo's fingers.

"That's it. Keep going Sorey," Mikleo encouraged along with another round of applause and wolf whistles.

Sorey did his best to coordinate moving his hips while pumping Mikleo's shaft while kissing his face, but soon became exhausted with the awkward angle. It didn't take long before he went from kissing, to just sucking a small spot on Mikleo's cheek while focusing more on his hand and hips. Even those were erratic at best. The exhaustion settling in from keeping up this position was beginning to flag his erection, something Mikleo took note of.

Suddenly, Sorey was pushed backwards to the bed again, and the fingers inside him pressed hard against his prostate. The wave of pleasure that shot through him shocked Sorey and brought him right back to a highly aroused state. Sorey shouted at the sensation, spine twitching like it were being shocked by electric pulses. Even when Mikleo pulled his fingers out, Sorey could still feel the spot where Mikleo's fingers had jabbed against his insides. The onlookers had cheered for Sorey's euphoric scream, and had begun chanting something. Sorey couldn't make out the words through his haze.

He didn't immediately realize what was happening when Mikleo touched the head of his penis to Sorey's anus. Mikleo waited, wanting his human's full attention. When Sorey finally looked into his eyes, they were slitted like a dragon's. Mikleo's hair was wild, half undone from the beautiful braids and tangled about his head. His teeth were sharp, pointed like the fangs of a carnivore. Around the edges of the bed, pillars of ice had begun to form, starting where the candles sat in the circle of stones and reaching up and over the bonding couple. Between the pillars, a thin wall of ice was starting to form.

Sorey wasn't frightened by any of it. There were people here, all around, to stop them if things went too far. He knew he was safe with his seraph, his best friend, his beloved. Despite the dragon inside Mikleo doing it's best to take control, Sorey felt no ounce of fear. He reached his hands up, palms outstretched towards his lover and said something that was sure to only encourage the dragon further.

"Bond with me." Sorey's voice was husky. "Please."

With that Mikleo pushed himself inside of Sorey. The stretch almost overwhelmed the pleasure Sorey felt from his already abused prostate being touched again. There was no burning still, and Sorey made a mental note to use oil if they ever did this in the future. Mikleo didn't pause to wait for Sorey to adjust. He immediately began to thrust in and out, drawing a high pitched whine from Sorey's throat. Sorey reached up to Mikleo's face, grabbing two fists full of hair and bringing his seraph down for a messy kiss.

Mikleo quickly took control of the kiss, which was easy enough to do with Sorey's trembling and weak grasp. The seraph moved his lips from Sorey's mouth to his neck, thinking about the best place to leave his mark on the human. His collarbone proved tempting, but with the bone so close to the skin it would probably hurt a lot there. Mikleo ran his tongue over the spot, relishing in the way Sorey moaned as he did so. Then Mikleo moved on to his neck, nuzzling the thick muscles and tender veins pulsing below the surface of Sorey's skin. All the while he kept humping his hips into Sorey.

For his part, Sorey couldn't keep his hands off of Mikleo. He was utterly distracted by the penis being shoved unrelentingly into his ass, but he still had the sense to cling to his lover. Everything felt amazing to Sorey. The tickling of Mikleo's tongue on his neck, the pounding in his abdomen, the rushing of air in and out of his lungs as he gasped, everything. There was something else there too, not just the carnal feelings in his body. A warm thrumming against his bones, something trickling underneath his skin. This must be Mikleo's magic. That strange, otherworldly feeling caused Sorey's body to tremble violently from the pleasure.

His thoughts were losing coherency as his mind became lost to the cacophony of sensations. The now familiar tightening in his groin was becoming more pronounced, as he felt himself barreling towards his end. This was important, it was important that Mikleo know he was reaching the peak of ecstasy. Yet Sorey wasn't sure he could pull himself together enough to tell Mikleo what was happening. He again grasped at Mikleo's hair, shoving the seraph's face into his neck.

"Now," Sorey moaned.

Fortunately, Mikleo seemed to understand what that meant. Sharp fangs plunged into the sensitive flesh just below Sorey's ear at the same moment Sorey felt the tension in his body release. He gasped and groaned as ejaculate came shooting out of him and something else came flowing in. The pain in his neck threw into sharp relief the pleasure in his groin, making his orgasm feel even better than he expected. At the same time, he felt another's pleasure. It was like there was a presence in his mind that was also experiencing ecstasy. He also felt an overwhelming sense of belonging.

This was the joining of souls, or the bonding ritual. Two creatures, though they are different, were joined together in their consciousness to forever support one another. It felt beautiful and right. Like the stars had aligned perfectly at their birth so that this moment were predestined to happen. Sorey and Mikleo, Mikleo and Sorey. The two were meant to be together.

As Sorey came down from his existential levity, he noticed that the pillars of ice had fully formed into a dome, shielding the pair from the outside. He could still hear the others, chanting and singing, but the noise was dampened. Mikleo was draped over Sorey, having collapsed there once the bonding had been complete. Sorey pet his head lovingly, happy to hold his lover like this. Mikleo sighed and licked blood from his lips, nose wrinkling at the taste.

"That was wonderful," Sorey whispered.

Mikleo grumbled. "Sleep," he huffed.

Sorey chuckled warmly, and lay his head back on the bed. It was surprisingly warm in the ice dome, and Sorey let his exhausted body fall into a blissful sleep.

* * *

The sun was setting. Deep oranges and reds streaked across the sky. The mountain face glowed amber and stark shadows stretched endlessly at their backs. Hanging in the sky near the pink clouds was a great, blue dragon. His wings beat in a steady rhythm while he hovered effortlessly. Around his face was a gorgeous display of webbed sipines, glistening in iridescent blue and each tipped with a hard knob that shone like a pearl. Just behind the spines sat a boy, dark brown hair messed up by the wind.

The boy lifted a hand into the air, one covered by a fingerless, white glove. "Pressure ice!" he shouted.

Around the dragon mana accumulated, so potent that it glowed with energy as it swirled around them.

"Ice Lancer!" the boy shouted, bringing his hand down.

From around the dragon's head, 12 shards of hard ice appeared. Then they shot away from the dragon in 12 different directions, shooting off into the setting sun.

The boy laughed with glee. "That was amazing Mikleo!" he said, slapping the dragon on the neck in a gesture of encouragement. "That was more powerful than I've ever seen."

I am powerful. Mikleo's thoughts echoed in their mind where only Sorey was privy.

"I don't think I'd even stand a chance against you in a fight," Sorey admitted fondly, happy to stoke his dragon's ego.

Of course not. You're tiny. The jab held no malice.

"Oh yeah, well you're shorter."

The dragon snorted, sounding something akin to a laugh.

Both the dragon and the boy hovered in the air a moment longer, watching the sun sink lower in the horizon. It was an odd sight to behold, the great ball of fire sinking past the great wall of inky blackness. The void stood as prominent as ever, a great barrier of nothingness that threatened to engulf the entire world. Yet even as it appeared that the sun was being consumed by the void, it would most assuredly rise again the next day.

The boy and the dragon stood between the world we know and oblivion. They were now guardians of the world, destined to protect everyone from the void even as the world remained ignorant of their efforts. Still, they were satisfied, happy even. They were a young, capable pair perfectly content to save the world every day for the rest of their long lives.


End file.
